Four Abstractionists, curated by Mrinal Ghosh, goes on show at Aakriti Art Gallery

The exhibition, Four Abstractionists, curated by Mrinal Ghosh, showcases the works of Akhilesh, Amitava Dhar, Samindranath Majumdar, and Sunil De.
Sunil De (Oil on Canvas 2004)
Sunil De (Oil on Canvas 2004)

Aakriti Art Gallery recently opened a group exhibition of four abstract artists who engage with and redefine the abstract idiom. Curated by Mrinal Ghosh, ‘Four Abstractionists’ will showcase the works of Akhilesh, Amitava Dhar, Samindranath Majumdar, and Sunil De.

Each of the artists explore the abstract form differently. While Sunil and Akhilesh’s works are inspired by the tranquil beauty of life and nature, and classical forms, Amitav and Samindranath’s works are critical of life.

<em>Akhilesh (acrylic on canvas 1999)</em>
Akhilesh (acrylic on canvas 1999)

Most of Akhilesh’s works have been created between 1990 and 1999, with one of them from 2014. He picks unique subjects, whether it is fingerprints or architectural patterns or natural settings to depict the quaint beauty of inner life. At other places, he plays with minimalism, or patterns which draw upon light and shade, captured in different shapes and hues of colours.  

Sunil De’s works show a marked tendency to start from nature or natural landscapes and move towards an unconventional structure. He usually chooses oil or acrylic on canvas to depict a thought or an idea, which bears a close connection to human life or condition, but is depicted in abstract terms. One of his more famous paintings depicts a horizon, where the sky meets the land and water, but has three black holes, as a ‘social comment’ on the human condition.

<em>Samindranath Majumdar (acrylic on canvas)</em>
Samindranath Majumdar (acrylic on canvas)

Amitava Dhar, on the other hand, concentrates on the conflicts and disharmony that life offers. The subjects of his paintings are borrowed from modern life itself, which depicts in implicit terms the stress and disharmony of a world post globalisation. The conflicts are usually depicted in shapes or patterns of colour which create a sense of tension or unease in the viewer, until the viewer establishes a connection with the image and tries to decode the conflicts with his own understanding.

<em>Amitava Dhar (oil on canvas 1993)</em>
Amitava Dhar (oil on canvas 1993)

A poet, painter and art historian, Samindranath’s works combine classicism with romanticism. Most of his artworks are fuelled by his memories, and bear a striking resemblance to JMW Turner’s depiction of nature or natural landscapes. Like Dhar’s work, his paintings also give away a sense of conflict arising in the post-globalisation world, conveyed through an interplay of contradictions between beauty and the lack of it.

Four Abstractionists will be on display at Aakriti Art Gallery till June 8.

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