Exhibitions and events attempting to bridge the gap between the east and the west are not uncommon, at least in a city like ours which is cosmopolitan in the truest sense. But what about the bridges between our neighbours that have been burnt by the curse of ignorance oblivion? Such a neighbour of our country, Singapore, also celebrates its Independence the same month as ours. To celebrate the cultural relationship between these two countries, art exhibition The Power Binary is set to unveil this weekend. Featuring a collection of more that 200 artworks by over 150 artists from India and Singapore, the exhibition aims to challenge the aesthetic sensibilities of the generic perception of modern and contemporary art. Curated by Vidhya Gouresan Nair and headed by Singapore-based artist P Gnana, the exhibition also commemorates the 20th anniversary of Gnani Arts, an art collective based out of Singapore. We speak to P Gnana and four participating artists to give you a sneak peek ahead of the show. Excerpts from the interviews:
P Gnana
It took Gnani Arts two months to put together the exhibition, says P Gnana, head of the project and one of Singapore s leading artists of recent times. Both being South Asian countries, there are more similarities than differences between India and Singapore. However, the P Gnana thinks that the artists of India are more influenced by nature and practices like live sculpture while the artists of Singapore have more western influence. His sculptures and paintings are also going to grace the exhibition, most of which are going to revolve around the theme of relationships.
Basuki Dasgupta
Feminine power or shakti is the extreme strength of our existence. Divine and powerful, she is the symbol of spirituality and the stories of daily life. To me, Maa Durga, symbolises my mother who is my inspiration and strength. That is why I feel this work is the true signature of my philosophy, says artist Basuki Dasgupta, talking about his abstract art titled Durga. There are some artists whose works reveal their influences and then there are some whose works give away no clue. When we asked him about his favourite artists of recent times, Basuki tells us, A Viswam and Alakananda Sengupta are two of them. Ma Xiaowei, Pim Palasgraaf and Pierre-Luc Granjon are also some artists whose works I am fond of.
Gurudas Shenoy
The work of the painter that is going to be displayed at the exhibition is an oil on canvas piece titled Spiritual Odyssey. Speaking of the series, which is, very dear to his heart, Gurudas explained how most of his works are a reflection of his travels. Travelling through multitudinous terrains, watching the shifts of light at different times of the day, the hills, valleys, the sky and the clouds it s larger than life; I see God in this, he says, adding, It is a space I see within my mind, free from the confines of realism.
G Subramanian
The celebrated artist s work draws inspiration from Indian mythology. Having seen his father perform the roles of female mythological characters like Sita in Ramayana and Radha in Sri Krishna Vilasam made the artist fall in love with such stories. And this is what finds expression in his works, such as the bronze sculptures Krishna and Radha that he is going to display at this exhibition. I started my bronze work in 2019 when I went to Swamimalai in Tamil Nadu, a place where traditional artisans live, work and worship gods and goddesses from the Chola period, he says, on being asked about his work in sculpture.
SG Vasudev
Collages and drawings have let me explore possibilities of recreating stories by using the imagery that I have done in my earlier paintings, says artist SG Vasudev, whose artwork Rhapsody (medium: collage and drawing) is going to be featured at the exhibition. For the unversed, he is also the founder president of Drushya Kala Sahitya Parishad, an organisation aimed to encourage the culture of art writing in Karnataka.
Free entry. 11 am to 7 pm. August 9 to 13. At Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Kumarakrupa Road.
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