New Delhi, Oct 26 (PTI) A new exhibition by artist-filmmaker Muzaffar Ali showcases his works ranging from sketches over four decades to a set of canvases and bronzes on his favourite subject - the horse.
Curated by Uma Nair, "Farasnama: Legend of the Horse" at Bikaner House here is thematically divided into four sections that feature his sketches and sculptures of horses, portraits of Zooni - a character based on his unfinished film, and a set of calligraphy studies.
A larger series in the show are Ali's paintings featuring horses, showing his love for the sentient beings and his admiration for India's indigenous horse.
“All the horses I have sketched and painted belong to the Indian sub-continent adding soul to landscapes. I have always loved their free spirit and their inherent traits of love and loyalty," Ali said.
Several of his large canvases celebrate the equine figure as a representation of courage, valour and vitality. Painted against pale backgrounds, the stallions and mares stand against abstract forms of landscape, evocative of the unknown yet spirited.
“Horses embody a universal language of peace, beauty, and love. When a horse transitions from a brushstroke into color and form, it becomes an eternal truth, transforming painting into a healing, meditative art. To me, a horse is a darvesh in equine form, capturing timelessness and poetry in every stroke," the "Umrao Jaan" director said.
Ali's passion for horses spans across mediums as he presents his bronzes for the first time.
Drawing inspiration from his masterpiece painting, ‘Hoshruba’, each horse acquires a third dimension - depicting horses in fury, in conversation, bowing in submission as they try to reach out for the sky.
The exhibit also includes a series of intimate horse sculptures cast as buckles accompanied by leather belts etched with galloping steeds in a landscape sketched by Ali.
Another section of the exhibition is occupied by Zooni portraits that present a nostalgic reflection on a film he could not complete in Kashmir starring Dimple Kapadia.
The accompanying detailed sketches of the character, architecture and lifestyle form the prologue to the four feminine portraits on canvas inspired by the poetry of the film through the moods of Zooni and the four seasons of the valley.
“As a curator I am known for curating shows of masters and my experience in doing retrospectives gives me the insight into multiple references and sifting and sieving the chaff from the grain. According to me a
curator must be passionate about creating quality cultural experiences and exploring conceptual ideas of contemporary thought and relevance within the available materials and works of an artist. I hope to take the Muzaffar Ali show to Kolkata and other cities along with some of his older works," Nair said in a statement.
The show will come to an end on October 28.