Indian Art Festival

BILKULONLINE

October 29: Prepare for a breathtaking burst of colours and an exuberant celebration of boundless creativity as the India Art Festival makes a grand return to the heart of Delhi this November! With 400 talented artists presenting 3,500 exquisite artworks across 100 captivating booths at the Constitution Club of India on Rafi Marg, this year’s edition of the India Art Festival promises to deliver an immersive sensory experience like no other.

From November 2nd to 5th, 2023, the Constitution Club of India will be transformed into a cultural oasis, offering not only a visual feast but also a multitude of fusion shows, live music performances, mesmerizing live painting demonstrations, and captivating film screenings. A standout feature of the event is the enlightening film “The Eternal Canvas – 12,000 Years Journey through Indian Art,” a cinematic exploration of India’s rich artistic heritage spanning millennia. This cinematic journey provides a sweeping overview of the evolution of Indian art, from prehistoric times to contemporary expressions.

Founded in 2011, the India Art Festival has emerged as a premier contemporary art fair in India, especially for emerging, mid-career artists along with mid-level art galleries. While this marks the 8th edition of the India Art Festival in New Delhi, it’s a significant milestone as the 25th edition of this celebrated event, hosted across Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. With a strong presence in three major metropolitan cities, the India art festival has become a coveted platform for young and emerging artists, mid-level art galleries, art collectors, and art enthusiasts alike.

Rajendra Patil, the founder director of India Art Festival, who also serves as the President of the Bombay Art Society, one of the oldest Indian art institutions founded in 1888, and Editor & Publisher of the Indian Contemporary Art Journal, a quarterly art magazine, says, “The primary inspiration behind initiating the India Art Festival back in 2011 was to create a platform that showcases and promotes contemporary art in India, with a particular focus on young emerging artists and mid-level art galleries, as it is often challenging for them to access such platforms or enter the art fair circuit due to huge cost factor.”

This year’s India Art Festival in New Delhi will feature performances by renowned artists and musicians, including Padma Shri Pandit Satish Vyas (Santoor), Vasudeo Kamath (Visual Art), S Akash (Flute), Prakash Bal Joshi (Visual Art), Mehtab Ali Niazi (Sitar), Ranjit Sarkar(visual art), Kamal Devnath(visual art) and many others. Yashvant Vaishnav will accompany the celebrations with the tunes of Tabla.

A diverse array of art galleries will be exhibiting at the festival, including names like Artecious Gallery, Artifire, Aura Planet, Eminent Art Gallery, Healing Art Foundation, MagicSimSim, Rang Mirage Art Gallery, Speaking Art Foundation, Studio 55 Art Gallery, Sudha Art Creations and Uchaan (all Delhi-NCR) ArtSage, Artvista, Bouquet of Art Gallery, Kalastrot, Nitya Artists Centre, Rhythm Art, Studio Pankaj Bawdekar, Traditions Art Gallery, Kavetaartz (Dubai), Narendra Art (Udaipur), Visual Line Gallery (USA-New Delhi), and Arpitam Kala Mandir (Kolkata), SUVIDA(Uttarakhand). Each gallery promises to bring a unique perspective to the world of contemporary art.

This year’s festival brings together a rich tapestry of artistic styles and expressions. Notable artists and their captivating works are showcased in carefully curated booths, making the India Art Festival a must-visit event for art lovers.

From stylized figurative to abstract compositions, traditional Flavors, architectural grandiosity, landscapes, religious art, and wildlife art, the festival promises something for everyone. The works on display range from the delicate and the physical to abstract compositions and intricate details that beckon viewers to take a closer look.

Kalastrot Gallery stands out, showcasing a curated selection of exquisite artworks in various styles and mediums. The featured artists, including Arti Vora, Atish Mukherjee, Deepali Sarde, Dhiren Sasmal; not to forget Nalini Joshi who is presenting captivating pieces that pay homage to bygone eras, evoking the nostalgia of rotary dial telephones, vintage Vespa scooters, and the cherished simplicity of life.

Rang Mirage Art Gallery takes viewers on an intriguing journey with a carefully curated booth featuring the best of the best. Artists like Ajay Samir, Amit Bhar, Kishor Roy, Malvika Kapoor, Pulakesh Mandal, Ram Onkar, Ranjit Sarkar, Savya Jain, Shambhu Nath Goswami, Shyamal Mukherjee, Sukant Das, Uma Shankar Pathak, and many more are exhibiting works that promise to captivate, each with their unique background and style.

SUVIDA, the Society for Upliftment of Villagers and Development of Himalayan Areas, offers a unique experience by showcasing traditional art fusion, created by artists from the region. This fusion art draws inspiration from various Indian provincial schools, offering a rich tapestry of creativity.

Uchaan Gallery takes visitors on a journey through figurative and semi-abstract works. Here, you can explore the creations of artists like Ayush Agarwal, Marcel Wissing, Salony Garg, Sonal Johar, and a solo exhibition by the talented artist Smita Jain.

Studio 55 from New Delhi introduces a diverse range of artists working in different styles, including Anjali Mittal, Bhavna Sagar, Deepshikha Gupta, Monica Singh, and Shashi Lata, each presenting their unique artistic perspectives.

Rhythm Art presents a meticulously curated selection of artists, including Arvind Mahajan, Dnyaneshwar Mane, K Prakash, Manoj Das, Paras Parmar, Rajan Raghavan, and Suhas Vyavarkar, among others. The booth is a must-visit for art enthusiasts.

Bouquet of Art Gallery from Mumbai, the brainchild of Anjali Arora, offers an interesting mix of figurative, abstract, and traditional art. Visitors can expect to be captivated by the range of artistic expressions on display.

Narendra Arts from Udaipur takes pride in its traditional art, offering a glimpse into the rich heritage of Indian artistic traditions. The Speaking Art Foundation showcases artworks in various mediums, featuring artists like Neeraj Sharma, Ashoo Malik, Deeksha Bajaj Thapar, Mahua Sinha, Manomoy Das, Monika Dewangan, Priyanka Bardhan, Remi Poddar, Remya Brijesh, and Swati Deb from different parts of India, offering a diverse and eclectic range of artistic perspectives. Artvista from Mumbai is showcasing eclectic mix of artworks by artists like Kumar Gaikwad, Subrata Malakar, Mohit Bhardwaj, Vishwajeet Naik and others.

The India Art Festival has been a nurturing ground for young and emerging artists who push the boundaries of imagination. This year, visitors can expect to be captivated by an array of mediums, subjects, and styles that reflect the unbridled form of artistic expression from all corners of India.

The festival showcases a breathtaking landscape, featuring lush green grass, serene water bodies adorned with lotus flowers, and captivating landscape paintings. Artists such as Nisha Dial, Sriparna Sinha, Sanjiv Nath, Burmadevi Barkha, Anubha Kaw, Sachin Deep Singh, Sourabh Pramanik, Sunil Gupta, Kalaiarasi Abhilash, Yogesh Barve, and Rahul Naskar, offer an immersive experience into the beauty of the natural world.

Several booths at the festival are bound to leave a lasting impression. Shruthi Challani’s stylized still life, Seema Sethi’s traditional-inspired paintings, and Prateek Kushwaha’s exceptional wildlife art are some of the highlights. Artist Pooja Bansal’s exploration of vintage wooden doors, windows, and furniture, Shruti Kasana’s artworks capturing a diverse spectrum of human emotions, along with Amrish Malvankar’s distinctive perspectives, will make the viewer take a second look at them. Artists with diverse backgrounds, such as Kanishka Mehra, a dentist turned artist creating a fusion of the delicate and the physical, where interwoven strings find their anchor in pins, resulting in captivating, three-dimensional pieces. Anuja Aggarwal’s abstract compositions capture the essence of flowing alcoholic inks, while Gunjan Garg’s works beckon viewers to explore intricate details and captivating beauty.

Honey Gupta’s abstract art involves the convergence of ropes, jute, paper, and raw canvas, transcending boundaries and celebrating the unrefined beauty of life. Meanwhile, Manju Srivatsa’s watercolors tell enchanting tales through polychromatic flowers on paper. Neha Jhunjhunwala’s creations of Buddha and dreamy landscapes not only infuse colors but also imbue character into the spaces they adorn, providing a sensory experience that transcends the ordinary.

Among the exhibiting artists, Nisha Ballani shines through her remarkable ability to craft white-on-white abstract floral sculptures on canvas, while artist Reena Nasik’s stylized hyper-realistic oil paintings reflect her commitment to self-discipline and perfection. Simi Biswas and Varun Kumar are on a mission to revive the exquisite hand embroidery traditions of ancient India and fuse them with their lifelong love for mythology through their brand Magicsimsim. Dr. Simple Mohanty Pani’s enduring passion for capturing nature’s captivating beauty is evident in every brushstroke, whereas Dhanashree Wazalwar introduces her latest art series, ‘Energy of Stags and Antler,’ aiming to captivate the essence of strength, gentleness, innocence, and more through the enigmatic image of the stag displayed at the art fest. Kavita Sachdev explores the raw energy and beauty of horses through her stylized works, while Om Thadkar captures the beauty of black-on-black in his charcoal paintings. Pankaj Bawdekar’s religiously inebriated musicians in the dance procession and Alka Pandey’s mixed media creations delve into themes of faith, spirituality, and the intricate sociocultural tapestry, offering highly symbolic works. Antra Srivastav’s highly symbolic works are a visual poetry that requires multiple readings. As a known name in the world of art, Antra Srivastav has been a part of the India Art Festival for over a decade. Ratnesh Dubey, exhibiting at the art festival, specializes in woodcut prints, while Meenakshi Dubey showcases her wooden sculptures, adding unique elements to the art fest.

There are many other artists exhibiting in the artists’ pavilion at the India Art Festival, including legendary artist Prabhu Joshi, artist Nisha Sehjpal, Sapna Gupta, Nikita Tater, Srinidhi Dabriwal, Pawani Nagpal, Shruti Gupta, Atul Gendale, Anaya Jetha, Prashant Yampure, Paridhi Jain, Mousmi Sarkar, Neena Makhija, Vinayak Sarwankar, Nagesh Devkar, Pradip Ghadge, Subir Das, Naveen Dholkhediya, Ritu Kwatra, Lalit Patil, Katalin Steger, Kakali Nag Das, Manish Kumar, Supriya Kaluskar, Aanchal Garg, Sudha Adarsh, Pallavi Gangwal, Ghanshyam Gupta, Rupali Khanna, Cheena Madan, Shaleen Khandelwal, Gautam Das, Parmesh Pal, Om Rajput, Prakash Bal Joshi, Kevin Massey, Sangeeta Pamnani, Alka Seth, Navya Kwatra, Rupesh Pawar, Asmita Shah, Beenu Tandon, Neha Vadehra, Shashikant Patade, R K Bhatnagar, Suvvro Basu, Collins Osemeke, and many others.