Studio Sutra

The Garhi studios in Delhi, established by the Lalit Kala Akademi LKA for artists in the early 1970s, proved to be a lifeline for Caur and other artists such as J Swaminathan, Manjit Bawa and Krishen Khanna.

8216;8216;The studios had wonderful facilities for not just painting but also pottery, sculpture and graphics,8217;8217; recalls Caur, who paid a monthly rent of approximately Rs 50 for a studio set on the sprawling, verdant Garhi campus in South Delhi.

So when Caur was asked to contribute a painting for the 8216;Swarnrekha8217; exhibition8212;commemorating the LKA8217;s golden jubilee8212;she obliged with her oil painting of Guru Nanak.

8216;8216;The exhibition is extremely meaningful,8217;8217; says Caur, adding this was why she donated a work she considers 8216;8216;personally very significant8217;8217;.

8216;Swarnrekha8217;, held in New Delhi in August, featured more than 300 works by all National Award recipients their careers, collectively, span every decade in the history of modern Indian art. Each work on display was no more than three years old.

The exhibition was the first in a series of nationwide events planned by the Akademi to mark its 50 years. During this period, it has hosted various exhibitions in India and abroad, including 10 Triennales; instituted awards and fellowships for artists; and supported workshops for children and emerging artists.

At the inauguration of the jubilee celebrations, 17 major artists, including Jehangir Sabavala, SH Raza, MF Husain and Satish Gujral, received the Lalit Kala Ratna for their continuing support to the Akademi8217;s efforts.

8216;8216;That so many established artists attended, reiterates the relevance and importance that the Akademi still commands,8217;8217; says art critic Prayag Shukla. 8216;8216;While most of the artists have moved on, they can8217;t forget the contribution made by the LKA.8217;8217;

In fact, Tyeb Mehta came all the way from Mumbai despite his fragile condition at 75.

Lalit Kala Ratna awardee Krishen Khanna, who has been closely associated with the Akademi in various capacities, recalls that 8216;8216;the LKA afforded a lot of space to exhibit8217;8217; and the Garhi studios 8216;8216;provided a congenial artistic environment for us to paint in8217;8217;.

The XI Triennale, to be held early next year in New Delhi, is the other big event of the jubilee celebrations. Nearly 40 countries are participating.

Even as the artists laud the Akademi, there is a distinct feeling that it could do better. Caur says it can contribute significantly more by establishing a permanent gallery to showcase its extensive art collection.

8216;8216;Apart from the National Gallery of Modern Art, there is no other repository of contemporary Indian art,8217;8217; she says. 8216;8216;If a small town like Dusseldorf in Germany boasts of at least half a dozen galleries showcasing modern art, it8217;s tragic that a country as large as ours has only a couple.8221;

Khanna, meanwhile, would like to see the Akademi become less bureaucratic. 8216;8216;That8217;s the only way to foster artistic talent,8217;8217; he says. 8216;8216;After all, no institution can make an artist. It can only provide a conducive environment to make art happen.8217;8217;