Exhibitions at Jehangir – Week 47 of 2023

November 23, 2023

A sculpture by Satish Gupta

Mumbai – 23^rd November 2023

Week 47 of 2023: 21^st – 27^th Nov 2023

The exhibition plan at Jehangir Art Gallery this week has an intriguing lineup of four new solo shows, and one group show. All the five shows together present a rich and diverse bouquet of paintings, sculptures and photographs. Interestingly, there are two solo shows of Photography which are presented by professional medical doctors, who have extraordinary passion for art. Another interesting dimension of this week’s show plan is that there are senior and celebrated artists as well as young and talented artists each one representing their own diverse styles and themes in their artistic expressions. Here is a brief on of all these captivating shows.

Exhibition Gallery 1, 2 and 3

‘Zen Thunder Zen Silence’ – A Solo Exhibition of Paintings and Sculptures by Satish Gupta

One of India’s most prominent multi-talented artists, Satish Gupta is presenting a charismatic collection of works in this show which includes paintings and sculptures under the meditative theme of Zen. The key message of Zen philosophy ‘When you are thunder, Be the thunder, When you are silence, Be the silence’ is embodied in these marvelous creations. Satish Gupta mentions in his note that he actually lives in the moment while creating his works of art. He further says that “Being One with the elements and The Now and being aware of the transient nature of the apparent reality is my meditation and the inspiration behind this body of works.”

Satish Gupta quotes his favourite Haiku which resonates in his works.

“On seeing wild geese flying

How wonderful he who thinks not

Life is fleeting.”

Auditorium Hall

‘Heartbeats’ – A Solo Exhibition of Wildlife Photographs by Dr Ramakanta Panda

Dr Ramakanta Panda is famously known as the ‘Surgeon with the safest hands in the world’ who has performed over 29000 heart surgeries as of 2023, including over 5000 complex heart surgeries inoperable in India and with patients amongst the country’s who’s who. However, his another little known side is an ardent wildlife photographer and conservationist. He has set up Asian Wildlife Trust (AWT) with the core philosophycentred around conservation with community empowerment, by supporting forest workers and local communities who are the guardians of the wild places and wildlife.

The exhibition presents enchanting photographs of wildlife which put the viewer wonder in awe of the serenity of life in the wild. Dr Panda has captured breathtakingly beautiful moments of wild creatures with such dexterity and precision of a heart surgeon that it would inspire every viewer to love and respect these creatures. He has declared that all proceeds from the sale of the exhibition prints would go towards supporting the charitable activities of AWT.

Exhibition Gallery 4

‘Reiterations – Stories of Our Everyday!’ – A Solo Exhibition of Paintings by Mrinal Dey

Mrinal Dey is a seasoned artist having done MFA from Indira Kala Sangeet University, Chhattisgarh and has a professional experience of over 15 years. He is proud recipient of Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, New York; The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, Montreal, Canada and China Govt Scholarship in addition to several awards in India. He has been consistently presenting his works through solo and group shows since 2005, including prestigious institutions such as Lalit Kala Akademi, Bombay Art Society, Camlin Art Foundation and through several leading art galleries and events such as the Kochi Binnale.

The present show ‘Reiterations – Stories of Our Everyday!’ has paintings in which a chubby male figure reiterates as the main protagonist and has an uncanny resemblance with the laughing Buddha. He personifies some of the stark realities of today’s socio-political realities with a humorous touch.

Hirji Gallery

‘Conceptual Beauty’ – A Group Exhibition of Paintings and Sculptures by five young and gifted artists – Amol Khade, V. Vasandan Virappan, Chintada Eswara Rao, Ishwarayya Mathapati, and Santosh Pattar.

Amol Khade is from rural Maharashtra and has honed his inborn passion for art into professional career by formal education upto MFA. He is the proud recipient of several awards – Acharya Kala Ratna Sanman, and Sir J J School of Art to name a few. He is proud recipient of Lalit kala Akademi scholarship and has been selected in competitions of Bombay Art Society, Art Society of India and Camel Art Foundation. At present he imparts Art Education at an Art college.

In the present show, he has showcased his paintings that are inspired from the childhood impressions of life and the lifestyle in rural villages in India. Through this, he reminisces the sustainable and down to earth lifestyle which is now being replaced by fast paced urbanization.

V. Vasandan Virappan is a young artist, having completed his BVA from Puducherry University and UC Art International Program from Dubai and consistently presented his works through solo and group shows over the past one decade. He is proud recipient of Scholarship from Lait Kala Akademi and various awards. Through his drawings, he attempts to bring out the essence and let viewers connect passionately with the subject, which in his case is the ‘Panchaputra’ or the state of harmony with the five elements that make everything in nature. The central theme is the meditative sleep (Yoganitra / Yoganidra) to explore the true purpose of human existence.

Chintada Eswara Rao is a young sculptor from Andhra Pradesh, with a MFA in Sculpture from College of Art, Delhi. He is proud recipient of Scholarship from Lalit Kala Akademi along with several awards at national level. He is inspired by the daily life and agricultural issues. More recently, he is exploring architectural forms and the interplay between agriculture and construction due to rapid urbanization. He explores fascinating possibilities and stories that go with the omni-present ‘Ghamela’ (Iron basket) which is a common tool used in agriculture as well as architectural construction. Thus through the rusting iron Ghamela, he attempts to understand the human life as it passes through this stressful and transformative journey of rural to urban lifestyle.

Ishwarayya Mathapati is a young artist from Karnataka with a MVA degree from Bangalore University. He has consistently participated in art exhibitions and art camps since 2015. He explores the images of Lord Shiva through the traditional ‘Uddharani’ medium of painting. While employing these traditional ‘Jangama Uddharani’ and ‘Shoonya Uddharani’ methods, he examines contemporary subjects and current issues. He sees God or Lord Shiva in particular while seeing farmers and labourers which he depicts in his paintings.

Santosh Pattar is a young artist from Karnataka with a MVA degree from Bangalore University. He is proud Research Scholar of the Lalit Kala Akademi and has participated in several art exhibitions and art camps. His art is influenced by the Indian folk, traditional, and tribal art while expressing himself through art. He is inspired by meditative awareness of self and the eternal connection of the body with the nature which nourishes it. While going on such deeper contemplative journey of self-exploration, he relates with his cherished childhood memories from a rural and agricultural background.

Terrace Gallery

‘Unseen Mumbai’ – Solo Exhibitions of Photographs by Dr Rahul Baxi

Dr Rahul Baxi is a Mumbai based medical professional with MBBS and MD degrees, specializing as a practicing diabetologist. He is a passionate photographer who started street photography as a hobby while in Singapore on a professional stint. He loves to explore the streets of Mumbai, capturing interesting moments that weave a biography of the city. Though he has been using DSLR camera, he is presenting his photographs which he clicked using his iphone. He says that mobile photography offers the ease of clicking while on the move and the quality of output is just as good. However, he believes that for an avid photographer, the creative vision is paramount while the camera is just an instrument. Dr Rahul Baxi has received recognition from prestigious institutions such as BBC News, Nature Channel in Indonesia, Apple and Tigerair Airlines (Singapore) who not only selected his photographs for their news stories but also offered professional assignments to him. This show titled ‘Unseen Mumbai’ has 45 photographs which show a rather unknown face of Mumbai city.