This gallery in Bengaluru is hosting a printmaking exhibition

Lavaru Art Centre hosts a printmaking exhibition featuring artists from India, Japan, China and USA
Raja Boro’s work
Raja Boro’s work

Although printmaking is taught in art schools across India, it’s not practised by many artists. However, in the past few years, there have been quite a few exhibitions that have helped put printmaking in the spotlight. Now, city-based art gallery Lavaru Art Centre is hosting an exhibition titled The United Vibes 20/21. An outcome of the Print Exchange Project that was started by the gallery in 2019, the show features 38 printmakers from across the globe and focuses on the various processes of printmaking.

The people behind the show are Alka Chavda and Suresh Kumar who have converted the ground floor of their three-storey home into a gallery. Alka is an artist and Suresh holds an MA in art history. “We started the exchange programme because there are few artists in India who practise this form. But internationally, many artists invest in it. We just felt the need to showcase the work on a larger scale,” explains Suresh who has curated the show along with Alka and Pranjit Sharma, co-ordinator of the printmaking facility at the gallery.

Indian artists from cities like Bengaluru, Goa, Vadodara, Hyderabad and Kolkata are showcasing their work. It will also feature works by artists from countries such as China, Spain, the USA, France and Ukraine. Speaking about the different processes used in printmaking, Suresh says mezzotint is among the most challenging ones to undertake. The method of engraving metal plates by evenly pricking the surface with small holes to hold ink is time-consuming and expensive, perhaps a reason why many artists refrain from practising it. “In 2018, Mzzot India was the first international mezzotint exhibition to be held in India, at Patna. We took cues from that exhibition and are featuring quite a few mezzotint works.

Guy Langevin and Deborah Chapman from Canada, Karthik V, Lokesh BH and Royalkriss Thangjam from India are among the artists who are showcasing their mezzotint creations. The beauty of these artworks is that the dark background makes them look like photographs,” explains Suresh. Deborah’s work called Antique Cite depicts a pearl that looks just like a photo of a pearl. Among others, Ukraine’s Olesya Dzhurayeva’s work is one of the highlights. Titled City Rainy Evening, the work in linocut evokes memories of a rainy evening.

“It’s like poetry in printmaking. Olesya’s depiction of rain, water droplets and puddles is something you would view through a car window,” says Suresh. Indian artist, Raja Boro’s work is unlike everyone else’s creations. It’s a burst of colours and projects his childhood memories.“The kind of colours he uses in his landscape makes his work challenging because to get those bright shades in woodcut is not easy,” explains the curator. Apart from these unusual works, the gallery will also have video installations showcasing the printmaking process.

Until January 10. At Bannerghatta-Jigni Road

ayeshatabassum@newindianexpress.com
@aishatax

Related Stories

No stories found.
Indulgexpress
www.indulgexpress.com