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Journalism of Courage
An exhibition of portraits reflects the concerns of 25 artists
They say a man8217;s journey can be read from the lines on his face, while a woman8217;s lies in her eyes. The human visage has many tales to tell. And it is these stories that artists try to unravel, every time a face is rendered8212;whether it is oil on canvas, graphite on paper or with chisel on stone.
8220;No painting of a head by me will resemble my earlier ones. This is because I don8217;t start with heads, I just start with lines. While crisscrossing lines with a brush or pencil, a head emerges from a matrix of strokes,8221; says Padamsee, who has executed many portraits that often have an air of saintly or other-worldliness to them. 8220;I never try to put an expression on the face. It comes from its own accord,8221; he says.
Pate has a photo-realistic approach to his portraiture. And the resemblance to famous figures like pop star Madonna and Nelson Mandela are totally intended. 8220;I wanted to make my own photo album. The work is in progress. Normally, we make family portraits. But I am interested in people who built their life from scratch,8221; says the artist, who works mainly with graphite on paper.
For Jagdish Chander, mankind is at the centre of the universe. 8220;My concerns are over showing pure emotions. The best vehicle to convey this is the human face,8221; says the Sanskriti Award winner.
Powerful strokes help Parekh depict a different human face as he attempts to capture the brutality of the Bhagalpur blindings. Goswami brings a sense of enigma to his portraits as he often quotes the images of artists like Michelangelo and Picasso, apart from inserting his self portrait.
