Lady Love

Tucked away in a corner, far from the hustle bustle of Colaba lies Pravina Mecklai's Jamaat, a haven for art lovers. Currently, the galle...

Written by Hina Oomer

May 12, 1999 12:00 AM IST

3 min read

Tucked away in a corner, far from the hustle bustle of Colaba lies Pravina Mecklai8217;s Jamaat, a haven for art lovers. Currently, the gallery is showcasing a collection of paintings called Ladies of Latur8216; by two talented young men from rural Maharashtra 8212; Vijay Belgave and Amritraj Koban. Their work has a language of its own, a powerful ability to express emotions, tinged with just the right amount of subtlety. Both Vijay and Amritraj are from Latur and moved to Mumbai in search of exposure and opportunities to exploit their talent to the fullest.

Vijay8217;s paintings primarily focus on the theme of love. More so on the love that exists between a mother and a child which he has repeated in many paintings in the collection. quot;I want people to be able to see the depth of love and the different forms of its expression,quot; says Vijay. But the most extraordinary part of his work is the exquisite frames he uses for his paintings. Instead of normal wooden frames, he has used wood from old doors from Latur.These create a very unfinished, jagged look that increases the dramatic effect of his work.

Amritraj8217;s collection, on the other hand, is a depiction of the persona and lifestyle of the Koli women. His paintings show that he has an eye for extreme detail, evident in the heavy ornamentation of the women in his paintings. His hand is ruled solely by the heart and what he creates depends on his mood. Most of the subjects of his paintings are young and naive women who seem to live a sheltered existence, typical of the women in Rural India. The faces in his paintings express a gamut of emotions, ranging from remoteness to coquettishness and sometimes even detachment.

There8217;s a great degree of similarity in the work of both these artists, but at the same time there is a stark contrast. Coming from the same background, both have been greatly inspired by the simplicity of rural life. Born and bred in Latur, their inspiration has always been its people. But why Ladies of Latur8217;? Whatever happened to the men? quot;Wefeel that women are much more expressive. They are also much more sensitive and responsive to emotions and that8217;s why we found it much more interesting to make women the subjects of our work.quot; The difference, however, lies in the colours they use and how they perceive the human form. The faces in Vijay8217;s paintings have a strong European influence characterised by small, more delicate features. Whereas Amritraj seems to have been inspired by the typical Indian beauty 8212; almond shaped eyes, fuller lips.

Pravina Mecklai, a connoisseur of art herself, feels: quot;Besides the fact that they have a lot of potential, their work has an incredible sense of innocence that is captivating. Some people loved Vijay8217;s unconventional wooden frames, but there were some who were very skeptical about it because they felt it had some kind of religious connotations. There were also many who felt that the mother and child paintings were very much on the lines of Michaelangelos8217;s Madonna.quot;

Ladies of Latur8217; at Jamaat ArtGallery, Apollo Bunder. Till June 5. Time: 11.00 am to 7.00 pm.

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