A TALE OF two ditties

“The position of the artist is humble. He is essentially a channel.” 
— Piet Mondrian

Two shows were held at Chitrakala Parishath that created their own artistic wave and made a mark. While one displayed woman power to the fullest, the other was a solo show by a supremely talented artist, Kotegadde Ravi. The art show by 50 women artists was a show that reflected the solidarity of women artists of the state. Conceptualised by Akanksha, an organisation which promotes women artists, it was a confluence of different artforms by many artists. Akanksha has an agenda of providing women artists, who are self-taught in art, a stable platform to display their works and talent. Not only have these artists been achievers in their own field of work, they also carry enough passion to learn and practice art.  Akanksha has also been acting as a common ground for like-minded artists to interact, collaborate and also make friends for a lifetime. There were a host of activities which included demonstrations by senior artists, art competitions and talks, organised along with the display and show of paintings in a
variety of mediums. It was when the trio, Usha Rai, Kavita Prasanna and Shyamala Ramanand met in October 2012 that the concept of Akanksha was born. 

Shaymala Ramanand, the chief organiser says, “So far, we have launched around 500 artists, many of whom have gained national and international repute. Our target is to reach as many passionate hearts as possible.” Akanksha has also been involved in social service activities wherein they have tied up with eminent teachers and artists to guide these art students in improving their skills. All the proceeds of these workshops go towards a trust called Art Can Care (Art for Cancer Care). This trust mainly helps in rehabilitation and managing extremely poor Cancer patients. The show concluded last week. 

Soon after the show, Fidelitus Art Gallery curated a show of Kotegadde Ravi titled Colours to Conscious. Hailing from a small town called Kotegadde in Shivamogga, Ravi has always been a poster artist of the rich cultural heritage of Karnataka. In this recently concluded show, he displayed some works for which he went all over, and painted deities and the environment around it. There is a painting where he has travelled to Shravanabelagola, and sat there for hours together, and painted the magnificent Gomateshwara. Ravi has often glorified Karnataka’s rich heritage in his previous shows, and he continues to impress with every passing show. The show concluded at Chitrakala Parishath this week.

—The writer is an art expert and curator.