Search results for: 'Flower and Fire The Life and Art'

Khagen Roy hailed from Medinipur in present-day West Bengal and came to Calcutta to study art. However, he left the Government School of Art in Calcutta as well as the College of Arts and Crafts in Lucknow dissatisfied with their curriculum. A chance encounter with painter and sculptor D. P. Roy Chowdhury convinced him to join the Government College of Art and Craft, Madras. Learn More

As with its history, trade, and culture, so with its art, India has always stood at the crossroads of assimilation, adaptation, change, and experimentation. Ancient and medieval art practices have informed her artists in the 20th century—a point when European and Asian movements found acceptance before being turned into a vibrant lexicon that has remained central to the pursuit of art in the subcontinent. Singapore

AVINASH CHANDRA BIRESWAR SEN F. N. SOUZA G. R. SANTOSH GOGI SAROJ PAL GOPAL GHOSE J. SULTAN ALI LAXMAN PAI M. F. HUSAIN MADHVI PAREKH NATVAR BHAVSAR S. H. RAZA SHANTI DAVE SHOBHA BROOTA SOHAN QADRI Learn More

Learn More

Learn More

The Devi or the female power in Hindu mythology appears in various avatars in our everyday lives—as idols during the puja, on covers of magazines, product labels, calendars and posters. The modern history of visualising the Devi goes back to naturalistic depictions in oil paintings by the Early Bengal artists, which were surpassed in popularity and fame by Raja Ravi Varma and his studio. His representation, however, was regarded as too human-like by artists of the Bengal School in the early twentieth century, who created idealised forms based on a synthesis of classical visual traditions. In the twentieth century, we find artists responding to distinctive traits of the goddess to portray specific aspects of her power, or to convey the artist's own relationship with divinity. Few artists who have turned to Hindu myths have been able to escape the temptation to interpret the female power in their own way, and the diversity in style, medium, and mood is a testament to that.

Learn More

For its debut participation in the modern section of Art Dubai 2017, DAG focussed on the unconventional theme of Neo-Tantra as a way of bringing India’s unique school of abstraction to global attention. The booth featured works by two of the country’s leading practitioners of this school—G. R. Santosh and Biren De. The stunning, colour- and energy-filled canvases drew all eyes towards itself, making it the singularly most-visited booth in the section.

Learn More

March to Freedom re-interprets the well-known story of the Indian freedom struggle and anticolonial movement through works of art and some historic artefacts. Drawn from the collections of DAG, they range from eighteenth and nineteenth century European paintings and prints, to lesser known works by Indian artists that merit greater recognition, alongside some iconic pieces. Rather than following the usual chronological path, the story is structured around eight themes. Each represents one arena, or stage, on which the anti-colonial struggle took place, to expand the story beyond politics, politicians, and battles (which also feature). Conceived to commemorate and celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, this visual journey seeks to do more. For even as we remember the struggles, the sacrifices, and the stories, such anniversaries are also occasions for reflection, including upon the scholarship that has developed on South Asian history. Some of the latter may be familiar to academics, or those with special interests. For most of the rest of us, our knowledge of this past is derived in large part from hazy memories of school lessons, which change from one generation to the next, and are influenced by concurrent national politics. We also learn from narratives on offer through public channels or in the media, to mark moments of national remembrance or controversy.

Learn More

What is the role of collectors and collections or archives in the world of art today? Does it simply allude to practices of producing a consumable past today or does it also aspire to question the ways in which history has been shaped by powerful interventions in the form of artworks, performances and installations?  In this series of conversations, we wanted to explore the idea of collecting recent or contemporary art—and how it inevitably takes us back to the moderns who influenced such practices heavily. 

Learn More

What do you make of a work of art? What was the artist attempting to communicate? These video shorts offer brief overviews on artists and their work in the way of expert opinions by scholars, curators art writers—and by the artists themselves. Learn More

What do you make of a work of art? What was the artist attempting to communicate? These video shorts offer brief overviews on artists and their work in the way of expert opinions by scholars, curators art writers—and by the artists themselves. Learn More

What do you make of a work of art? What was the artist attempting to communicate? These video shorts offer brief overviews on artists and their work in the way of expert opinions by scholars, curators art writers—and by the artists themselves. Learn More

What do you make of a work of art? What was the artist attempting to communicate? These video shorts offer brief overviews on artists and their work in the way of expert opinions by scholars, curators art writers—and by the artists themselves. Learn More