JANUS ART GALLERY

K A L A B H A V A N A :T H E L E G A C Y O F I N G E N U I T Y

PRESENTS

842A/1, UPEN BANERJEE ROAD, PARNASREE, BEHALAKOLKATA: 700060, INDIA

www.janusartgallery.com | email: info@janusartgallery.com

+91 9830060206, +91 9331840678

Visual expressions of the artists from Kala BhavanaSantiniketan

SHRIDHARANI GALLERYTriveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi2nd to 10th September, 2019

11am to 8pm daily

Kala Bhavana: The Legacy of Ingenuity

Rabindranath Tagore established Kala Bhavana to instil a cultural practice that was embedded in the society: fairly novel and genuine, with its underpinning in the freedom of expression. Tagore’s idea of art was not limited to Nationalism alone but may be seen, in Santiniketan, as a meeting point of universal practices-in its holistic manifestation, nurtured with passion. Under the academic leadership of Nandalal Bose, Indian modern started taking shape in the natural environs of Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, where the students were encouraged to respond to the immediate nature through their art, unlike the revivalists, who consciously held back upon the classical subjects and motifs. From the days of Nandalal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee and Ramkinkar Baij, Kala Bhavana has produced numerous artists, scholars and teachers in the field of art those went on to create their independent visual language. The environment that was to nurture the art was flexible and ever pragmatic. And this environment incidentally provided a scope to the artists to express freely, without any restriction of the medium or style. The change that we much

appreciate today has its seed sown in Kala Bhavana about a century back, and thus was the vision of the founder.

The current exhibition Kala Bhavana: The Legacy of Ingenuity, showcase the works by twenty young artists/students from Kala Bhavana with an objective to trace the progress, through its rendering of subjects and styles, and alongside, the current practices and pedagogy. These works continue to bring us closure to the similar artistic responses with a contemporary vocabulary; through cognizable and abstract forms-redefining feeling of joy, ecstasy, freedom, conflict and contradictions of life etc., as much a century past. The increasing disintegration of the society provides stimulus to the minds of the artists, providing them with numerous concerns and subjects like contemporary incidents, memory, childhood, gender, space and also traverse the contemporary experiences and psyche. The works presented here signify a blend of traditional and contemporary perspectives, which continue to explore freshness with unsettled energy.

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These works by the select twenty artists, participating in Kala Bhavana:The Legacy of Ingenuity, represents their view of contemporary Indian Art and contribution to current cultural practices.It is a course of life, one turns outside the institutional boundary that has trained him/her with idea and skill, to face the challenges in the field of creativity. However, it is observed in the past years, the students have shifted increasingly out of their probable career. While this may benefit the students/young artists individually for a short term, it will

presumably have an adverse impact on a comprehensive journey for themselves, as much for the art world.

At Janus Art Gallery, as part of a major project, we are committed to bringing in young and upcoming creative minds together, for the last 20 years, providing them with wider viewership and equal opportunity.

This allows the graduate students/artists from well-known art institutions, to showcase their art and creating a niche for themselves in the contemporary art field.

Till recently, the prevailing practice of the Galleries, Auction Houses, Collectors etc. are not showing any sign to go beyond the obvious. And this is not at all an encouraging factor for the art world. One sees no

increment in a wider pattern in the context of art; for example, no reasonable start-ups in the art world have been taken up till now, while it can encourage the young minds to think out of the box.

Janus is grateful to the artists, who have generously contributed their works for this exhibition. Our acknowledgement is especially due to Prabir Kumar Bera for his technical support and catalogue

designing, Suvajit Samanta for his artistic inputs, Damayanti Debnath, who has coordinated the project with impeccable professionalism, without the support of whom, this project might not have been possible.

Kallol Bose

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Anirudra Mondal

Anup Let

Gargi Ghosh

Intaz Ansari

Koustav Nag

Santanu Banerjee

Portia Roy

Pradip Sengupta

Sumantra Sardar

Suparna Mondal

Tuhin Mondal

Arindam Sarker

Asish Kumar Maji

Braja Balak Pal

Enjamul Islam

Santosh Kumar Patel

Suvajit Mondal

Shweta Naik

Sukanya

Subir Das

Visual expressions of the artists from

K a l a B h a v a n a , S a n t i n i k e t a n

“Kala Bhavana: The Legacy of Ingenuity”

ARTISTS

A n i r u d r a M o n d a lBorn: 01/04/1993

Between Spaces, Mixed Medium, 48 x 60 inches

Anirudra Mondal obtained bachelor’s degree in Painting from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. He has participated in several group exhibitions. In 2014 and 2017, he was part of the workshops on calligraphy that were held in Kolkata and Santiniketan respectively. During his stay in Santiniketan, he noticed the chaotic reality of organic and

synthetic materials. The rural life of Santiniketan is embracing the pros and cons of rapid urbanisation. The juxtaposition of natural and industrial materials in his work depicts these drastic changes and its alarming consequences on the Santiniketan landscape.

A r i n d a m S a r k e rBorn: 31/08/1987

I’M AliveWood, Aluminium and Feather

L17X B 7X H 29 inches

Arindam Sarkar obtained bachelor’s (2010) and master’s (2012) degree in Fine Arts from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. He has two solo shows to his credit with a recent one at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre, Thailand. In 2010, he received the National Cultural Scholarship from the Government of India.

Arindam’s works stand for the soul that seeks freedom. A soul that is trapped in his own dilemmas. Life has become synonymous to ambition, determination and action. And in fulfilling each of these, humans trap themselves in the shackles of despair and dejection.

A s i s h K u m a r M a j iBorn: 10/11/1981

Dreadful deathlessnessBronze, 25X37X13 inches

Asish Kumar Maji, a post graduate in Sculpture from Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, has exhibited his works in many group shows in the major art galleries across the country. In 2006, he was accorded with the Best Exhibit Governor Award in All India Fine Arts Exhibition organised by Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata.

His works explore the relationship between nature and the physical world. Asish tries to visualise the aspects of an event which changes with the change in time to create a completely different scenario. His works are deeply inspired by human nature.

A n u p L e tBorn: 19/03/1992

Introspection, Mixed medium, 12X12 inches each

Anup Let has graduated in Painting from Kala Bhavana, Santiketan. He has showcased his works in several group exhibitions. His participation in the workshops on gouache, tempera, pata-chitra, performance art etc. has provided him with the imperative exposure to varied visual languages.His work talks about society’s stereotypical construct of identity, gender and

sexual identity, in his case, and its reaction towards any defiance to the norms. Being a representative of the LGBTQ community, he portrays his own experience of being ‘other’ and how, in the society, only the sexual identity prevails over his primordial identity as a human.

G a r g i G h o s hBorn: 08/04/1994

The Devoted Housewife Wash on paper

24X36 inches

Gargi Ghosh received her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Fine Arts with specialisation in Painting from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. Her paintings have been part of a number of group exhibitions, held across the country. The popular images and visuals which she encounters in her everyday life frequently appear in her art-works only to depict her response to the immediate surroundings.

The influence of popular culture on a middle-class household interests her. Its prominent presence in every corner of domestic space is what intrigues to create her current pieces which can be considered as painted installations. She tried to explore the possibilities of incorporating single or multiple frames in and around the image.

B r a j a B a l a k P a lBorn: 09/02/1995

Bird, Terracotta, 20X20.5 inches

Braja Pal received Bachelor of Fine Arts with specialisation in sculpture from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan in 2017. In this work, the form of a bird is rendered in a stylised manner. He picks up a motif from his surroundings and represents its

innermost essence in his own style. The sense of energy/rhythm is apparent in his way of dealing with figures in a semi-abstracted framework.

E n j a m u l I s l a mBorn: 02/05/1997

A Thinker’s MindBronze & Wood

9X7X7 inches

Enjamul is presently pursuing M.F.A. in Sculpture in Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. He has received the Merit Scholarship from the Visva Bharati University in 2015, 2016 and 2018. His work was featured in the 52nd Annual exhibition (2019) of Birla Academy of Art and Culture. Enjamul’s works deal with the issues of over-population in India, one of the

toughest challenges the country has been facing in the post-independence era. And consequently, people are distressed with irregular distribution of resources. The artist tries to capture the threat of this situation in his sculptural representations.

Intiaz Ansari completed both B. F. A. (2017) and M. F. A. (2019) from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati University, one of the prominent art institutions in India. He has been exhibiting his works since 2014 in the leading art galleries in Kolkata and Santiniketan. Intaz received the Kalasakshi Memorial Trust Award and Scholarship in 2018.

Being born to a father who makes ends meet by working as a labourer has developed in him a sense of respect for physical labour and made him more empathetic to this class of people. The hardship and adversity this job is entailed with are what he tries to show in his works.

I n t a z A n s a r iBorn: 16/09/1992

Seller, Tempera on Paper, 42X96 inches

Koustav Nag, a PhD research scholar (since 2018) at the Assam University, has participated in a considerable number of national and international shows that facilitate his works to travel countries such as Bangladesh, Japan, the USA and Denmark. He has also been invited to many residency programmes in India and abroad.

Kaustav’s work revolves around the multi-facet and somewhere conflict relationship with politics and human being. He intends to trace the trajectory of an invisible thread that ties the human with their surroundings. Text as a means of communication often makes its way into his works.

K o u s t a v N a gBorn: 09/11/1982

Struggle, Plywood cut print, 18X48 inches

Santosh Kumar Patel lately graduated (2019) from the Visava Bharati University, Santiniketan. He has participated in several group exhibitions including the National Art Exhibition (Odisha) in 2017 and All India Annual Art Exhibition (Bombay Art Society) in 2018.

Santosh’s works are inspired by the objects and visuals he encounters everyday. But they don’t make a mere presence in his work, rather provoke the viewer to think about the importance of that very objects or things.

S a n t o s h K u m a r P a t e l Born: 06/08/1995

Fishes of life Bronze16X9X4 inches

Suvajit Mondal completed B.F.A. from Govt. College of Art and Craft (2013) and M.F.A. from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan (2015). In 2016, he had his first solo show ‘Anveshanam’ at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. He received the National Scholarship from Ministry Of Culture (New Delhi) in 2014. He presently works as a visiting faculty at College of Art, New Delhi.

After moving to Delhi, the artist encountered a city which is overpopulated, stands in the contrast of Santiniketan’s rural landscape. The architectural congestion, which makes the lives of millions of people miserable, has compelled the artist to delve into this issue and make it a subject of inquiry in his art.

S u v a j i t M o n d a lBorn: 17/05/1990

Many MovementsCeramics (Stoneware)

35.6X13.6X13.6 inches

Trained as a printmaker, Portia Roy has obtained the bachelor’s and master’s degree from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan in 2009 and 2011 respectively. Her works have been part of several group exhibitions including ‘Drawing Is Dead’ in Khirki Studio, ‘An Overwhelming Dream’ in Print Club, Delhi, ‘Melange17’, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, and ‘Rooms’ in Gitler &_ New York.

Portia’s art is always a reaction. Images and incidents that disturb her have always been the subject of her work. They compel her to give them a body. The ideas are often derived from the sadness, helplessness that she feels about the increasing inhumanity and viciousness in the world.

P o r t i a R o yBorn: 19/07/1986

Extras of the world IV, Woodcut, 22X30 inches

A post-graduate in Painting from Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, Pradip Sengupta has four solo shows to his credit. Amongst his series of group exhibitions, many have been hosted in major art galleries in India. Museum of Sacred Art, Belgium has his works in their collection. Pradip has participated in art camps on calligraphy, art restoration and many more.

The painting titled ‘Balance’ depicts the unstable state of human life. As thinking beings, humans are bound to make decisions in every step of their lives. The cliff and the dangerously positioned car, in the painting metaphorically narrate such moment of crisis in human life and individual’s ability in decision making.

P r a d i p S e n g u p t aBorn: 05/08/1976

Balance, Acrylic on canvas, 36X30 inches

Santanu Banerjee pursued graduation (2000) and postgraduation (2002) in Painting from Kala Bhavana, Visva Bharati University. In his long career, he has participated in quite a number of group shows, held across the country and abroad. In 2004, he was accorded with the prestigious Elizabeth Green Shields Award by the Elizabeth Green Shields Foundation, Canada.

His recent works are often a kind of exploration of the outward and inward perception of this changeable swinging time, articulated by multi-layered ideas and imageries. His arrangement of forms invites the viewer to move into a space of speculation.

S a n t a n u B a n e r j e eBorn: 02/01/1975

The stranger, Acrylic on canvas, 43X43 inches

Sumantra Sardar completed B.F.A. from Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan and then moved to Hyderabad to pursue M. F. A. in Painting from Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad. He has participated in many group shows and workshops. In 2016, he received the East Zone Gold Award in Painting from the Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation.

Over the last few years, Sumantra is delving into the idea of migration as an economic, political as well as cultural problem. He is trying to understand the theoretical significances of the displacement and transition of people as an alarming global phenomenon of the twenty-first century.

S u m a n t r a S a r d a rBorn: 06/10/1991

Right to remember II, Acrylic on canvas, 60X48 inches

S h w e t a N a i kBorn: 09/10/1987

Being qua being, Terracotta, 17X12X18 inches

Shweta Kevale Naik is a PhD scholar at the Dept. of Art History and Visual Arts. She studied M.F.A. in Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan (2014). She has participated in a number of group exhibitions across the country. She received the Chinese Government Scholarship in 2014 and Merit Award in the Annual Exhibition of Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi in 2019.

Her interest lies upon the socio-culture background of any place; therefore, primarily her works are based on human emotions and conflicts. Society’s over empowering influence on human nature, growth and decay of human feelings have a vivid impression on her art practice.

S u k a n y aBorn: 05/02/1993

Inside me 2 , Colour wood and iron, 40X24X24 inches

Sukanya received bachelor’s (2015) and master’s degree (2017) from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. She studied in the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, France as part of student exchange programme. Her works have been part of many group shows in Nandan Art Gallery, Santiniketan, ICCR, Kolkata, First Internatinal Kala Mela (2018) organised by Lalit Kala Akademi to name a few.

Sukanya endeavours to voice for the women who remained silent all their life, being oppressed by society. Her identity as a woman facilitates her to be more empathetic to them, which is overtly reflected in her works. But the aspiration to be empowered and triumph over all the adversity is very much there.

Tuhinuddin Mondal received bachelor’s (2017) and master’s degree (2019) in Painting from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. He has participated in several group shows and workshops. Being trained as a painter, Tuhinuddin prefers to paint in oil and acrylic colour.

His attempt to show the stark contrast between urbanisation and rurality and how modernisation has forced villages to capitulate to the cities is reflected in the title of his work ‘Kaler banshi’, named after the famous sculpture of Ramkinkar Baij.

T u h i n M o n d a lBorn: 04/01/1991

Urbanisation-3, Acrylic on canvas, 36x72 inches

Suparna Mondal, a post-graduate from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, is a visual artist who has a penchant for painting and printmaking. Her works have been displayed in more than thirty-five group exhibitions in India and abroad. She was one of the featured artists in Gwanju International Art Fair and Busan Art Fair, South Korea.

Philosophy that stands behind the technique she uses is simple: she works with dots and lines. For Suparna, a dot stands for stability and a line does for movement. The combination of the two is ultimately what she wants to describe in her works: they form life.

S u p a r n a M o n d a lBorn: 16/10/1982

The sound inside my corridor, Acrylic on Canvas, 96X72 inches

Graduated from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan in 2019, Subir Das prefers to express his thoughts through sculptural forms. He has taken part in many group exhibitions and workshops on calligraphy and wood carving. One of the most menacing phenomena, thriving with the advent of the twenty first

century is depression. With the burgeoning work pressure, competition, struggle for survival the human race is facing frustration, anxiety and despair that lead to the darkness of depression. Subir Das’ concern for the suffering humanity is what his art speaks about.

S u b i r D a sBorn: 16/08/1990

Blocked, Wood,12X12X36 inches

Janus Art Gallery is one of the most active and dynamic art houses located in Kolkata. Since its inception in 1998, it has been earnest-ly collecting and promoting art and soon carved a niche for itself. Focused on the art of Bengal, Janus Art Gallery has an on growing collection of works by artists with commendable heritage value, re-nowned modern artists and young contemporaries with a promising future. Consequently, the collection has grown not only in number but more significantly in quality and variety. Hence, along with a substan-tial collection of Old Masters, Janus is also committed to searching for young talented artists, promoting them in the art field and bringing them the recognition they deserve. This approach led Janus to dis-cover less known gifted artists with great potential to make a mark in the art scenario.

Janus Art Gallery’s relentless search for such artists has not only made its own collection valuable but also has drawn attention of the critical viewers and the art loving public of the city at large. As an essential part of the process, Janus also organizes exhibitions all over the country. It is worth mentioning that Janus has participated in Delhi Art Summit, 2008, Art expo Malaysia, Kualalampur, 2009 and sent paintings of upcoming artists to Larasati Auction, Singapore in 2007, 2008 and also to 33 Auction, Singapore in 2011. Sri Kallol Bose, who heads Janus, can be credited with the realization and formation of a well-informed and well-researched foundation for a veritable art collection and promotion in the Indian art scene, setting an example through sheer dedication, persistence and professionalism.

Janus Art Gallery

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842A/1, UPEN BANERJEE ROAD, PARNASREE, BEHALAKOLKATA: 700060, INDIA

www.janusartgallery.comemail: info@janusartgallery.com

+91 9830060206, +91 9331840678