Art exhibition in Pune closes the year with colourful, pleasant narratives

The biggest art showcase in the city, Contemporary Signatures began in 2021 with the aim of bringing signature works of eminent and up-and-coming artists under one roof to Pune. There are displays by masters of the form, such as K G Subramanyan, Krishen Khanna, and Ram Kumar. This year, the exhibition includes two new features— a section, Think Big, which includes around 35 works that are over 15 square feet and fit for the large homes that can still be found in Pune.

A second intervention is 10-15 artists who are showing in Pune for the first time. (Express Photo)

A second intervention is 10-15 artists who are showing in Pune for the first time. Among them is Ankon Mitra, an architect-artist who has created a buzz in the art world in recent years. Mitra’s works at the show are The Garden of the Mind, whose origami technique involves DuPont Tyvek house wrap that has been folded and hand painted, LED lights and a wooden box, among others, and A Royal Procession, an intricate ceiling installation.

“People in Pune would have seen the critically acclaimed Laxman Alelay but they might not be familiar with his daughter Priyanka Aelay, who has got a completely different vocabulary from her father,” says Kar.

Priyanka’s work is an acrylic on linen, titled She Hovered, a Bird of Bones and Air.

With the work Postcard Home, Rakhee Shenoy, the daughter of Gurudas Shenoy, makes her presence in Pune.

Has the art world recovered from the setbacks of the pandemic?

“I don’t think art has seen a substantial dip. The mood is still positive, if we look at the response to Art Mumbai (Mumbai’s first art fair that ended November 19), we see that the sales, footfalls and the people attending were all positive,” says Kar.

With the walls of Monalisa Kalagram displaying powerful voices from across India, Kar says, “We’re trying to bring an array of positivity into your home by art that you can look at every day.”