The Inner Circle

More than sixty years after its inception,members of the Delhi Shilpi Chakra come together to celebrate the art group.

The barracks of Masonic Lodge at Janpath had some unusual visitors in the summer of 1949. This is where the then budding artists assembled to pitch their talent before a rather limited audience interested in art. While many works sprucing up the barracks might not have found takers,the aim back then was not to sell but to popularise art. The takers were few and the artists had come together to showcase their work and have discussions, says critic and curator Keshav Malik,who was among that handful of audience at the debut show organised by Delhi Shilpi Chakra,counterpart of the acclaimed Mumbai-based Progressive Artists Group. Malik is now revisiting the exhibition through Re-wheeling the Chakra.

Celebrating the rather neglected group,the show at Art Bull that will open on October 27 will comprise works created by members of the group from 1949 onwards. It was a task to get some of the older works. We wanted to balance them with newer works to showcase the changes in art practices, says Malik,pointing out that one of the oldest works in the exhibition is a 1947 KC Aryan oil on board depicting struggles of the underprivileged. KS Kulkarni has a musician dancing on his canvas and BC Sanyal paints Hanuman ready to be airborne. Also on the walls will be works of Biren Dey,J Swaminathan,Jagadish Dey,Ram Kumar,Paramjeet Singh,Rameshwar Broota and Satish Gujral.

The group had a flat in Shankar Market where all of us used to sit and chat. It wasnt just artists but also musicians,dancers and theatre people. Dr Karan Singh was a visitor,Inder Gujral often narrated poetry and Indrani Rahman gave dance performances, says Rajesh Mehra,who joined the group in 1958 and was its secretary for several years. He recalls,It was a forum that brought together established and younger artists. Gogi Saroj Pal stayed there for months.

Delhi Shilpi Chakra,may not be as well-known,but Malik hopes that by highlighting its contributions,the exhibition will make amends for the past years. Unlike the Progressives who were borrowing from the West,members of Shilpi Chakra were looking inwards. They were rooted to the soil, says Malik,pointing out that exhibitions were often held in neighbourhoods such as Chandni Chowk,Karol Bagh and Delhi University campus.

Anupam Sud remembers the public excitement around projects. All of us were passionate about art,and willing to actually spend money to pursue it, says Sud. In the exhibition at Art Bull she will showcase a coloured print made at the Shankar Market premises in the late 60s. Mehra on the other hand,will display his 1958 work,which was part of the first exhibition held by the group in its Shankar Market space. Unfortunately things became too commercial and personal interests took over the larger concern for the community, rues Mehra,adding that the camaraderie that the group shared in the 50s and 60s was unmatchable.

The exhibition at Art Bull,F 213C,First Floor,Lado Sarai,is on fromOctober 27 to November 15. Contact: 65683083

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