The connection between the Almighty and human beings is an experience or concept that varies from person to person. With this as a core idea, Gallery 78 recently brought together 11 artists who expressed their emotions and ideas of the Divine in their own way.
Elaborating on the show and how she came on board, debutante curator Annapurna M. says, “Divinity is something which everyone can relate to and yet, the outcome differs from person to person. I thought this would be a good subject for my first independent curatorial project as I was always interested in art, and did my graduation and post graduation in arts too.”
As for the process of short listing and selection of the art works, she explains, “We went through the art works of over 200 artists before zeroing in on these artists from all over India. Each of them has their own visual language as to what the Divine means to them.”
Artist Ramesh Gorjala’s take on Divine.
Interestingly, most artists from Telangana take the direct depiction route, feels Annapurna. “If you see the works of Nagesh Goud B. or Ramesh Gorjala, their artworks have a direct connection to divinity, whereas artists like Ramakrishna G. take inspiration from nature to portray their divine connection,” she explains.
Artist Nagesh Goud’s art work depict great Indian tales of heroism and resolution, especially from the stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, whereas Ramesh Gorjala portrays his spiritual take on the subjects of Indian mythological characters, all of them are painted with great sensitivity and attention to detail.
Meanwhile, Ramakrishna G.’s figurines show how nature and humans are interconnected. Describing one of his works on display, the artist says, “My recent figures are totally flying in the air, but balanced by the twirly tendrils of creepers even as they jump high up in the air with joy, enjoying the divine beauty of Nature through the human act of play. The hand gestures, body movements and the raised foot show that the body is becoming one with Nature.”
Talking about what’s in store for her as a curator in Hyderabad, Annapurna says, “I have grown up in this atmosphere and feel that there is an urgent need to change the art market and buyers. Most art collectors here just want to show off their collection as an asset rather than for the love of art. But I will do my best in creating a difference to the art fraternity in the city.”
