The popular Ganesh Chaturthi festival will be celebrated shortly around by Goa’s Hindu community, and four contemporary artists from Goa, graduates of the Goa College of Arts, Panjim, pay homage to Lord Ganesh in an exhibition of around 53 works in acrylic, watercolour, oil, pen, charcoal, mix media, at an exhibition titled ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, which was inaugurated on August 15, 2022 by Goan film Director Dnyanesh Moghe, at the Art Gallery, Sanskruti Bhavan, Patto, Panjim.
Among other deities, Ganesha, also known as Ganpati, is revered as the lord of beginnings, deva of endurance, superhuman strength, remover of obstacles, and thought to bring good luck offering success and prosperity, and has been traditionally worshipped by scribes, intellectuals, bankers, authors. A cross-section of society, and numerous artists have depicted him in varying poses and colours.
ARTIST SPEAK
“As an artist, I try to reflect my attachment with nature through paintings. Spontaneous flow of natural elements can be seen in most of my artworks displayed here,” states Siddharth Gaitonde, a Post Graduate from the JJ College of Arts, Mumbai.
Vasudev Shetye opines, “Whenever I see nature, Goan culture and architectural edifices, they are reflected in my paintings. My works at this exhibition are a blend of different thoughts, derived from mythological sources, which embody the physical, aesthetical and emotional aura of the work in a colourful palette.”
“We have experimented and explored the various forms of Ganesh using different techniques with very colourful and innovative ideas. I have tried to portray him through a different perspective and conceptualized his association with us,” states Praveen Naik.
Omkar Banute, also a Post Graduate from the JJ College of Arts, Mumbai, describes his depiction as, “My paintings are based on my experiences, and styled more realistic, and are academically inclined.”
The artists attempt to capture an instant to freeze an unrepeatable motion in continuous harmonious colours in an unforeseen and artificial colour palette, each with a differing decorative background, as they define and capture diverse facial contours of Ganesha, thus, drawing the viewers attention. The paintings in varying sizes are reasonably to extend affordability.
The art exhibition ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ will be on show till August 19, 2022, at the Art Gallery, Sanskruti Bhavan, Patto, Panjim Panaji from 10 am to 7 pm