A brush with nature

Anwar Chitrakar's Prakriti Devi, acrylic on canvas

The intersection between art and nature requires no pondering; each adds to the definition of the other. There is a long tradition of famous artists being inspired by nature, too - from Van Gogh's Irises to Claude Monet's Water Lilies. It is this idea that translates into an exhibition opening today at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya's Coomaraswamy Hall. Titled Art in Nature, it showcases the works of 11 award-winning artists, part of the Indian Arts Collective, specialising in traditional Indian art.

The artwork on display ranges from Kaligat, phad, pithora and pattachitra paintings to kawad wooden boxes, and gadwakam sculptures and ceramics. Although the collective is known to exhibit once a year in Mumbai, this theme is a first for them. "It is a combination of the traditional and the modern because while traditional art features natural elements, the artists here are interpreting their own surroundings. They hail from rural areas, so their work reflects the development they have seen and also highlights the artistic diversity of the country," says organiser Anu Chowdhury-Sorabjee.

Anu Chowdhury-Sorabjee

Unlike other exhibitions held at the venue, the show will follow a gallery set-up where the pieces will be framed and not laid out. Apart from a walkthrough, the artists will conduct workshops too, at a fee of Rs 500. Two will be held on each day for the three days the exhibition spans. While Padma Shri awardee S Shakir Ali will teach participants miniature painting, Odisha's Pranab Narayan Das will conduct one on pattachitra.

The goal, Chowdhury-Sorabjee says, is to ensure that the work sells because it's the only way to keep these legacies alive. She adds, "We advise some of them to keep the size of the work small because it is difficult to sell otherwise owing to the city's space crunch. The artists will also be interacting with customers, so we're literally bringing them to you, but in a curated fashion."

Pranab Das's Nature, natural colour on tussar silk

On March 8, 11 am to 7 pm
At Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort.
Call 9821061915

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