On Serene, artist S. Harshavardhana comments, “Serenity is more than just a mood, it’s a whole being of relating to the universe and its tranquil moments. When I see several of these paintings next to each other, it makes it obvious that each painting is an instrumentation in its own. When I paint I empty my mind; I have no preconceived notions, I think of the blank space. But I’m aware that my works on paper as well as on canvas all emanate from different palettes, and, therefore, so to speak, of different climates. My choice of the colours used, as well as their order, is aimed at an intuitive interaction - my forms within the colour fields influence and change each other back and forth. Scientific notations form the basis of my thoughts.”
Over the years, Chandra Bhattacharjee has tried to capture and interpret his own understanding of Santiniketan, first with the help of his camera lenses, then onto his charcoal sticks and brushes with empathy with nature being at the core of his oeuvre. He has repeatedly returned to his home in Kolkata with the concept of Santiniketan, frozen in his high-resolution frames, dominating his mind. “Cities will sprout where trees were king. Factories will harden forest floors. Nature will give way to the drum roll of development. All that is inevitable. But what if a few wondrous places were simply left alone? Sheltered from the assault of progress? Maybe that would do us humans and our eponymous humanity a world of good,” comments the artist.
S Harshavardhana, Untitled, Mixed Media on Canvas, 48 x 60 inches, 2023
“We are delightes to present two invigorating solos - Serene by S Harshavardhana and Santiniketan by Chandra Bhattacharjee as a parallel to IAF as we celebrate the art month and add a new space to the gallery. Harshavardhana pays a tribute to Thomas Gray and takes the legacy of abstract contemporary Indian art forward; Chandra Bhattacharjee explores the change in the red soil ecosystem of Santiniketan effected by the destruction of the natural habitat. Both the shows are unique touching upon the differnt facets of Indian contemporary art,” shares Sunaina Anand, Founder-Director, Art Alive Gallery.
Exhibition venue: Art Alive Gallery, S-221, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi - 110017
On view till: 3rd March, 2023