Saturday’s Art show

It was really after a long time that I enjoyed a weekend. Partly it was because Anna Shetty was home for a two day break.  We spent the two days doing nothing much: just relaxing and catching up with all the odd jobs that needed to be done, eating mangoes, baking in my new oven and just being. The best part was a visit to the art galleries where we saw an exhibition of Badri Naryan’s paintings on show at the Viewing Room, Colaba.

I love Badri Narayan’s style which is simplistically complicated. And I love the Viewing Room which is one large white room on the top of an old building on Colaba Causeway. The huge walls and sheer size make picture viewing a sheer treat .

Badri is getting on in age and finds it difficult to produce the paintings as effortlessly as he did in the past – but the works on display still show his characteristic attention to detail and the sheer fancifulness of flying unicorns and crowned kings. I love his bit of whimsy rooted in ancient myths.

I discovered a new art gallery yesterday – This gallery has been around for many years but I only got to know of it last year. Maninder Dawar who runs India Fine Art Gallery at Film Centre Tardeo is the only dealer of Vaikuntam in Mumbai. This gallery too is well appointed and easy to visit with ample car parking which is rare in this city of Mumbai.

Vaikuntam’s strong images of Telangana people are unusual and striking. The bright, vibrant colours capture the essence of his people – traditional, strong  and earthy.

These two shows currently in the city by two senior Indian artists are indeed a treat to the eyes as welcome as the rain clouds gathering  slowly in the sky .