Show Stealers

“This exhibition has been possible with the help of friends and art lovers. With the first batch of artists completing the year-long scholarship,we are proud that they have justified the faith reposed in their ability and have moved ahead in their creative journey with passion and zeal,’’ says Diwan Manna,Chairperson of the Akademi.

The scholarship was introduced for budding artists below 30 years of age. In 2008,the eight artists were selected by a panel,and given a stipend of Rs 2,000 a month for one year. The scholarship is aimed at promoting research in fields like drawing,graphics/print-making,painting,sculpture,multi-media,photography and installation.

Many of the artists have already moved out of the city and are beginning to make their presence felt elsewhere. “This exhibition gives us a strong foothold,as we will now be able to approach other galleries for displaying our work. We are also getting valuable feedback from senior artists,people and the market at large,” says Aanchal,a sculptor.

For Amrit Pal Singh,who has exhibited caricatures of famous personalities like Lata Mangeshkar,A R Rahman and Amitabh Bachchan,humour in an individual’s persona makes for a good caricature. “It is a growing field,much in demand and we’ve got a great starting point,” he says.

Geetika Pathania’s Inhumane series of sculptures in metal are arresting in both thought and design. She depicts the thin line that turns a human into an animal,with one person’s pain being another’s pleasure. Sonam Jain uses the image of playing cards to depict the divisions in society through her paintings and also portray contemporary issues. Mukesh takes Chandigarh as his muse and depicts a city that is growing on him.

The exhibition is on till May 5.