Master Strokes

The award-winning entries were selected by a two-member jury comprising well-known artists Nagji Patel from Vadodra and Amitava Das from Delhi. Among the winning line-up in the professional category are etchings by artist Lakhwinder Singh that highlight Chandigarh’s trees while Randeep Singh showcases offbeat photographs. In the students’ category,Shilpi won the award for her painting Apni Desi Canteen that brings Chandigarh Art College’s popular haunt Chacha Ki Canteen onto a new canvas along with Sonal Garg who sketched out a detailed map of her route to college.

This year’s edition showcases an absorbing line-up of paintings,sculptures,photographs and graphic art. “My work is conceptualised keeping in view the harmony and romance in nature,” mentioned city-based artist Anjali S Aggarwal who has showcased her work in pen and ink that focuses on a tiger in dull gold on a black background. Also,sharing space are works of Ila Choudhary,who in tapestry mix forms human faces and Shubh Mohan Singh,who has zoomed on Gandhi Bhawan in black and white. “Each of us have tried to bring in our personal perspective and feelings,” remarked invited artist Parul Dar. An alumna of Government College of Art,Chandigarh,Dar brings to the exhibition her untitled sculpture in copper-coated aluminum wire that is themed around women. In the students’ category,particularly eye-catching are Ismat Pal Singh’s installation comprising butterflies made out of cigarette butts and paper which had many admirers,along with Mittika Gupta’s Beginning of Life that zooms in on lotus leaves in black and white. Dinesh Verma’s untitled work zooms in on water droplets to make them look like a piece of art.

Also on display are works of artists such as Aradhna Tandon,Balvinder,Bheem Malhotra,DS Kapoor,Daphy Brar,Diwan Manna,Madan Lal,Nitin Dutt and Sanjay Kumar among others.

The exhibition is on at Punjab Kala Bhawan,Sector 16,Chandigarh till February 8.