As an abstract painter, Vishal Joshi creates mysteries. Who can forget his series on 'motifs spirals'? But, in his recent art work, an acrylic on canvas piece, he uses motifs to bring meaning to power and narrate the story of royalty. Titled 'We are the hero of our own stories', Joshi's artwork focuses on the crowns which have been created for his current series, 'Crowns and Thorns'.
The artwork has been created for 'Manthan', an exhibition where Joshi will share the stage with several prolific artists as well as up-and-comers. Some of the artists include Satish Gujral, Seema Kohli, Jogen Chowdhury, Jangarh Singh Shyam, Thota Vaikuntam, Vinita Dasgupta, Ashish Tyagi, Gurudas Shenoy, Laxman Aelay, Paramesh Paul, Rabin Mondal, Ramesh Gorjala, Arpita Reddy, Ratan Saha, Sujata Achrekar and Sunil Das.
Calling it a story that can be related to mythological characters as well as kings, Joshi describes the artwork as a piece of royalty. “According to me, 'Crowns and Thorns' are contemporary as well as traditional as both are connected to history. These two motifs are also politically connected to today's scenario, and if we see the history, there is reference of both the elements in several stories.”
Bespoke royalty also comes in the form of his choice of rich colours. “I have added blues, reds and colours that give a velvet-like feel, along with gold to add grandeur,” he adds. The artworks come in the form of six display panels of 1x4 along with a painting of 8x4, where both pieces narrate stories about each other.
Joining Joshi is Arpitha Reddy, who has been trained in mural painting, but now works on adaptation pieces and other traditional art forms. Reddy, in her creation, is focusing on mythological pieces. “My paintings narrate a story of Samudra Manthana. I have portrayed Goddess Lakshmi with the eight elephants that has been created in acrylic on canvas. This work is a part of other series of works that were created for Jehangir Art Gallery last year,” she explains.
Besides Joshi and Reddy, Sudip Das' showcase is inspired by his visit to Spain in 1962. He is showcasing a bull that was inspired by the bull fights that used to take place in Spain. That is one of the reasons the artwork also has signature 'Spain 62'. Ashish Tyagi, on the other hand, is showcasing six feet tall sculpted and painted 'Hands', whereas renowned artist Seema Kohli is showcasing sculptures in fiber casted and painted cow sculpture.
Manthan, as a platform, allows artists to create their own drama. Unlike other exhibitions, there isn't any set theme. Mamta Nath, founder of the Lexicon Art Gallery and curator of the show says, “Manthan is the churning up of ideas, concepts and ideology. It is an exhibition where artists who are established in the market and those who are new to the field will showcase together. Here, the platform has been given to different artworks such as tribal, modern and contemporary artworks at the same platform.”
“The title allows artists to showcase their creativity in the real sense. If you'll notice, all artists bring in their individual styles. Manthan did not cater to a specific thing. That's why no theme was given. You'll only find a beautiful selection of artwork,” she adds.
With over 80 works on display, the pieces range from contemporary, traditional, tribal art, sketches, oil, charcoal, acrylic, canopy as well as sculptures that are made with fibre and bronze. The event will take place till May 28 at Lexicon Art Gallery at Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Delhi.