Black and white are complementary; one cannot survive without the other. This forms the basis of the art exhibition-cum-sale Co-Existence at Birla Academy of Art and Culture.
The exhibition has on display paintings, sketches, wood craft, sculptures by more than 40 artists. The show is on till September 11.
The curator of the exhibition, Dolly Dabriwal of DD Artspace, said she found her inspiration during the pandemic. “The pandemic showed us the true meaning of co-existence. This is a black-and-white monochromatic show but the deeper meaning is that both light and darkness, positive and negative spaces co-exist and together bring in harmony. Both are necessary and both have a symbiotic relationship. I kept in mind (while curating) that they (artworks) should all be monochromatic,” she said.
My Kolkata asked Dabriwal to pick her top 5 from among the variety of artworks at the exhibition. Here’s what she chose (in no particular order):
Urban Vocabulary VII by Krishnendu Porel
Porel uses acrylic on canvas as the medium for his artwork. He tries to unearth the visual appeal in the growing concretization of landscape. His main theme in the artwork is architecture in urban landscape. The changing facets of urban development where the old structures and the emerging ones can co-exist together make his work appealing to the viewers.
From Here to eternity by Pradosh Paul
Another acrylic on canvas which urges the viewers to seek within oneself and contemplate on the true meaning and form of the earth. How humans and the earth are almost the same and co-exist together, is the essence of the art. The creator makes one think about the distractions caused due to an increase in social and digital activity and how after their removal, man is one with the earth.
Me and Mine by Prafull Singh
A sculpture by Singh, this giant chess board made of fiberglass, steel and brass bridges the gap between man and nature and brings them closer. In nature, every substance changes shape and takes various forms which exist peacefully together.
Constellation Series by Sajal Sarkar
Created with watercolour and mica pigments on hand-made paper, Sarkar’s constellation series focuses on dot art and circular shapes. Each dot signifies a human being and the multitude of dots visualize mankind vis a vis the world. The artist draws from socio-political instances of the physical world and juxtaposes them with the spiritual world in the series.
Jacob’s Dream I & II by Sushanta Kumar Maharana
Maharana’s stucco on neem wood art depicts heaven. It talks about the reality of life and how socio-political hierarchy shapes much of the life on earth and painless afterlife.
L- R: Vivek Rathore and Dolly Dabriwal
The exhibition was inaugurated by Vivek Rathore of Salient Designs architectural firm. All artworks are up for viewing and sale from September 7 to 11 between 3 pm to 8 pm.
All Photos by Amit Datta / My Kolkata
