All for One

Simrat Sharma of Artscapes describes the exhibition as an endeavour to strive towards a future where artists,art lovers,art students and critics are brought together through a range of shows,events,seminars,camps and workshops. “This exhibition will go a long way in promoting the cause of art as well the relatively lesser-known women artists,” explains Sharma.

The works of the artists were judged by acclaimed artist Shobha Broota,who went into minute details to pick out the winners. Five artists received cash awards,with the first prize going to Seema Kadam from Gwalior for her painting titled Insect Energy. In mixed media,the artist paints an insect,creating movement with strong brush strokes,one that makes the viewer feel that the insect is moving towards a hole. Kanika Arvind Kumar Shah from Vadodra bagged the second prize for Room 96. This artwork depicts a woman waiting,with text,numbers and buildings creating a movement on canvas. Three artists received the third prize for their works.

In the paintings section,most women artists have stayed away from abstracts and have painted on themes which are universal and especially close to a woman’s heart. One of the striking works is Mansi Trivedi’s painting. This has two works put together on one canvas,where,in red and black,the artist has depicted a woman in a pensive mood,but instead of the face,she has chosen to depict her insides to convey the emotion. Kamal Sohal’s endearing portrait of an elderly couple,Soulmates,shows them together and at peace. Many works depict women at leisure,bonding over coffee,walking,listening to music — they are alone,but not lonely. These seem to convey a woman’s need for space and solitude. One of the notable works is a life-size sculpture of a woman in a garden,with butterflies resting on her body. She has an expression of complete bliss on her face. Another sculpture made in a trunk depicts the scene at a railway station,where the train has been cancelled,and passengers — miniatures done in plaster of Paris — wait patiently. Sandeep Kyat’s portrait of a child’s face,grinning from ear to ear,is arresting,as the artist uses a mix of colours to bring out the sheer joy. Anupama creates a scene of a city on the move,dotting the image with rural motifs to create a balance of energy. Sita Vishwdama uses wash colour technique to paint girls perched on a mango tree and enjoying the taste of raw mangoes. The exhibition also has many woodcuts,where the artists have worked on huge pieces with perfection,like Swati Mishra’s True Love.

The exhibition is on at the galleries of Museum of Fine Arts,Panjab University,Chandigarh,till April 4.