Associated with art for the past 23 years, one would assume that artist Vijay M. Dhore knew everything there was to know about art. But the reality is as abstract as his paintings of landscapes and one that he was reminded about yet again during his trip to Europe in July with the Camel Art Foundation.
The foundation selects six to eight candidates and the finalists receive a cash prize and also go on an all-expense paid trip for 15 days where they get to visit galleries and museums in Paris, Rome, Florence and Venice.
From thousands of applicants, winners are selected from four zones and Dhore was the only one representing Hyderabad and the South zone. Till date, Dhore has participated in 12 solo shows, 27 group shows across the country and has received 18 awards — from Madhya Pradesh Kala Parishad, State Award to Kshetriya Kala Pradarshini by the Lalit Kala Academy (Lucknow).
“For an artist to grow, it’s important to travel abroad because it’s only then you realise how different and advanced their (artists abroad) thinking is,” says Dhore, who first went abroad — to Spain on a scholarship for an art and culture initiative in 2000 — just after he completed his PhD in drawing and painting from Agra University.
“Indian art, many a times, is based on tradition and society, but Western art, be it their colour palettes or brush strokes, is so different,” says Dhore, who grew up in a small village in Madhya Pradesh, but is now living in Nizampet.
Questions that the artists were asked to ponder about during their trip were: What have you learnt? What new can you bring to your art? And the answers to all these have culminated in the show, Drawn-WithDrawn, which will take place on November 5 at Iconart Gallery.
“All eight of us decided that we must come up with an exhibition after the trip; document and showcase what we learnt during the trip,” says Dhore, who explains that only five artists — Mahua Roy Malhotra, Protyusha Mitra, Rahul Solanki, Vipin Singh Rajput and G.M. Belagali — co
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