Tribal Trail

Pravesh 2011,on at the Art2Day Gallery,features 60 sculptors and painters from Chhattisgarh.

Some very creative visitors from Chhattisgarh are in the city. At the fourth state art exhibition,Pravesh,which is being held at Art2Day Gallery,Shukrawar Peth,till today,60 artists will offer a miscellaneous spread of art. The exhibition will bring terracotta and bronze sculptures to share space with acrylic,oil and water-colour canvases.

Five of these artists have travelled to the city for the first time. Each of the artists has tried to tell a story or present his point of view through his work. The repertoire of sculptor Rajendra Sungari,who has brought an untitled bronze sculpture exhibit for Pravesh,fuses traditional technique with modern forms. “My fascination with sculpting began very early in life. I have worked with clay,bronze,cement and many other metals,” says Sungari,who is also the secretary of Shilp Varsha Art and Research Society,Chhattisgarh,that has organised this exhibition.

The event has earlier travelled to Jaipur,Ahmedabad,Bhopal,Nagpur and Bhubaneshwar. It was envisioned as a platform to highlight the tribal art and amateur artists from the state. In the past four years,the emphasis of the display has been on the modern interpretations emerging out of the traditional Chhattisgarhi art styles – from Bastar for example – and include media such as stone and terracotta. I have even adopted the traditional Indian casting styles into my art, says Sungari,who,apart from being a sculptor,is also a painter.

The signature earthy style adopted by Sungari permeates the entire exhibition. Most of the paintings focus on the rural landscape and its peculiarities. The female motif repeats itself many times,with tribal jewellery and attire in all their colourful glory. However,some works present a different preoccupation. For instance,the painting of artist Ram Indoria shows a golden camel against a red background. It’s his effort to create awareness about animal exploitation and environmental degradation.

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