The Big Bash

After it opened its doors in 2000,SH Raza was the first artist to hold a solo show there. Today,as Tao Art gallery celebrates its 12th anniversary,works of the artist,who is considered a legend in modern Indian art,yet again adorn its walls. The 2008 painting,Prakriti,is dominated by a fiery red and black. It shows the 90-year-old artist’s extensive use of colour and is part of the exhibition titled Synergy 2012,which comprises works by over 60 prominent Indian artists. Other artists whose work will be featured alongside include Ali Akbar Mehta,Brinda Miller,Ingrid Pitzer,Jaideep Mehrotra,Payal Khandwala,Rini Dhumal,Samir Mondal,Satish Gujral,Seema Kohli and Sohan Qadri.

In the 12 years it has existed,Tao Art Gallery has hosted shows by artists ranging from the modern masters to some fairly new and young ones. Started by Kalpana Shah primarily to fulfil her desire to be surrounded by art,today the gallery is one of Mumbai’s best known. “In the beginning,we held a number of curated shows —which we have continued to do occasionally,” explains the self-taught artist,curator and collector. “But I was lucky to have been introduced to the Masters in my first year,soon after which we were able to do solo shows with Raza and MF Husain,” she says.

The Worli gallery’s owner has hence

chosen as part of this exhibition — on till March 22 — artwork by some of the

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country’s best known names and some of its newest. Many of these artists have created artwork especially for this show,including the renowned 83-year-old artist Akbar Padamsee.

These,however,are only the works on canvas and paper. On display are also a number of very interesting sculptures. Arzan Khambatta’s work,for instance,is a copper and wood sculpture titled Mustang that features a horse’s head. Gieve Patel’s Eklavya is a work in bronze of a young

boy. There are,in addition,sculptures by KS Radhakrishnan,Karl Antao and

Paresh Maity.

The theme of the show,Shah says,stems from the process of the creation of the works,that’s why the name Synergy. “The work originates in the artist’s mind,he puts the idea down on the canvas and we see the finished product,” she explains. “Synergy makes this happen—the synergy of the heart and the mind.”