New Delhi recently experienced continuous rains, blue skies and the cleanest air quality of the season, but that wasn't all that the city had to offer as the Triveni Kala Sangam marked the final day of the 'Art in Editions' exhibition, among other splendid displays.
The exhibition was organised by Dhumimal Gallery, India's oldest, founded in 1936, which has previously displayed rare works by masters like Zarina Hashmi, Manjit Bawa and Jagmohan Chopra.
During my visit, Shridharani Gallery was quiet but buzzing with cultural vibrancy, spearheaded by the quietly intelligent Nikshit Kothari, sales manager at Dhumimal Gallery, who shed some light on why the exhibition matters and the future of art as we know it.
Can you tell us about the main artists featured in the exhibition?
“Honestly, they are all very old and important works. Somnath Holle is a very old artist who is now deceased. We exhibited seven or eight of his works that are almost linocuts. They are all edition prints and the paintings are all editioned. They are artist proofs so we kept the title 'Art in Edition'.”
What is an “edition”?
“Artists make multiple prints of their creative works. Sometimes they make 10, 20, 30. A lot of what you see here are editions. Editions are when they say 2/8 or 2/25, so that's the total number of pieces, and this is the second edition.”
Why do artists create multiple editions?
“They make multiple prints depending on the idea. Sometimes they make 10, 20, 30. But they sign each print. So after it's printed, every artist writes the edition number and their signature. They sign it. So it's equivalent to their work. A lot of other artists paint with a brush or on a canvas. And then they sign it. This is how they paint. This is how they do their art. They create art on a sheet or on another material and then they print it on paper.”
Can you show me around the exhibition?
“One of Somnath Hore's works is not a print, it's a pulp. Somnath has done the 'Wounds' series, which is an attempt to represent wounds through paper pulp prints. Different kinds of wounds are represented.”
“Another artist I would like to mention is Haren Das. He's a very experienced artist. He does woodblock prints here. All these designs are drawn on wooden boards, then we colour and print them. So, the areas that look white have not been touched. Ink is applied where an etching or something has been done.”
“Krishna Reddy was a very talented printmaker, but he has passed away. He didn't produce many works during his lifetime, so there aren't many galleries that carry his work. Many of his works are owned by collectors and are not available for sale to the public, so his works are not easily available. Of course, there are collectors who sell them, but there are very few galleries that collect them. Next year marks the 100th anniversary of Krishna Reddy's birth. I thought it was the right time to exhibit his works, which are not often seen.”
“Another artist we have is Jagmohan Chopra. His style of work is very unique in that he prints on zinc sheets in a variety of colours.”
“His work is not widely seen on the market. Many people don't even know about him.”
“One of his pieces is titled 'Composition 34'. It is the 23rd out of 25 in total and is signed by him and Rameshwar Bhruta. He is one of the veteran artists who only resides and teaches here. He came and saw the work and liked it. A piece signed by two artists is very rare.”
What is the piece “4 is a 4 letter word”?
“If you look at all the numbers, only 4 is equal to that number. 4 is a four letter word. What are some four letter words that we use in our daily lives to print images? All these squares are printed on paper with different designs and colors.”
Who is Zarina Hashmi?
“Zarina Hashmi is very famous for her woodwork. These are all woodblock prints. She takes subjects from everyday life and tries to inscribe the designs into wood.”
“This is 'Rope.' If you zoom in on the rope, this is the texture you get from the rope, the strings, etc. If you turn the rope like this, some of it goes this way, some of it goes that way. In the same way, she made the cage. She wanted to put in a wooden cage.”
“It's like etching a zinc sheet, trying to show where the threads join together and what that looks like.”
What has the reaction been like to the gallery?
“The response has been excellent. Many artists have come. Many people come without booking. People appreciate the work, especially those in the art world. Some art lovers are impressed as we have some very old etchings by Manjit Bawa. In the early days, I used to sign it as Manjit Singh Bawa. Later it became Manjit Bawa but earlier I used to sign it as Manjit Singh Bawa.”
How do you think art can reach younger people and those who aren't normally interested in art?
“Today, art has everything. Earlier art dealt with serious themes. Art now has a very contemporary side. It has a very creative and colourful side that young people can relate to. Before, only a select few understood the meaning of art. I think the only way is to create lots of contemporary designs that have real-life meanings.”
“I've noticed an increase in younger collectors.”
Does it have pockets?
“They certainly have money, thanks to their increased earning capacity and because they need money immediately. Before, art was just seen as something to buy and keep. Now art is seen as an investment, not just an asset.”
“People buy it and if it's a work by a senior artist or a master, the price goes up quickly. There are various platforms where art can be auctioned through galleries. The whole art industry is on the rise in terms of artists and platforms on which it is exhibited, so it has become more accessible to a lot of people.”
“Young artists take time, but the prices of older artists and masters are also very volatile. So it's an investment. So all of this is attracting young people into the art world.”
Triveni Kala Sangam is open every day from 11 am to 8 pm.
Dhoomimal Gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm.
Akul Baij
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