Paintings by Mohan Naik (left) and Jyoti Mehta (right) are among those that are currently on display at Ujwal Art Gallery, Vagator
Gomantak Times
Although watercolour is the most challenging medium, it is the dominant medium of paintings in the group exhibition, titled 'Goa Exhibits' by Artinspired Goa, which previewed at Ujwal Art Gallery, Vagator, on March 6, 2022.
Among the older and younger genre of Goan artists, whose works are on show, are Mohan Naik, Yolanda De Souza, Sanjay Harmalkar, Shailesh Dabholkar, Kalidas Satardekar, Sunil Shirodkar, Prasad Naik, Anand Bambolkar, Jyoti Mehta, Nandini Raikar, Bazil Mota, Dilesh Hazare, Harshada Kerkar Sonak, Sainath Padte, Rubina D'Souza, Sagar Naik Mule, Sandesh Gaundalkar, Kailash Parab, Shweta Solyekar, Siddharth Gaitonde, Vasudev Shetye and Damodar Madgaonkar.
WATERCOLOUR
Simplicity creates a movement in the semi-abstract portraiture of a goatherd in Mohan Naik’s village, Ghodkem, which excels in capturing gesture and expressions of individuality. The viewer possibly gets lost in the scene and the characteristic facial expressions of the goats.
Kalidas Satardekar, recipient of several state and national awards, portrays architectural details of the temple tower at the Mahalasa Narayani Temple in Verna, which he did during a live painting event. The intense flat colour and the composition employ a perspectival setting.
Sailesh Dabholkar is inspired by Mogul miniatures. His painting, titled Ghodyachi Perza, has a horse and rider in the center (which represents horse trading in the Portuguese era in Goa), surrounded by seeds of time, germinating new ideas.
Painting in mixed media by Shweta Solyekar
Gomantak Times
MIXED MEDIA
Rubina D'Souza, an English and Social Science school teacher by profession, did a course in painting at Pyped Pyper Art Academy, Dona Paula. Drawing inspiration from aquatic animals and plants, the detailing skillfully brings the images to life in coloured vertical lines, with juxtaposing elements delineating each other, and seem to exist almost without awareness of one another, which caught my eye.
Shweta Solyekar, an art teacher, portrays childhood memories. “As children, we spent time playing outdoors, and I’m disturbed to see today’s children glued to their gadgets,” says she. The monochrome figure of a child in the centre depicts the cloistered child of today, surrounded by reflecting colours in soap bubbles, which conveys movement when children spend time playing various outdoor games.
Jyoti Mehta, a self-taught artist, has revaluated the role of women in her paintings for almost a decade, giving qualified artists a run for their money. Her painting titled My Inner Self, expresses today’s world, where everyone is busy with their work, and has forgotten to enjoy life. “Within us, is a child who enjoyed life. Listen to the child within who wants to be free from burdens and uncertainties, and enjoy life,” is her message.
Damodar Madgaonkar, who organised the show, is a self-taught artist. His fantasy art depiction in pen and ink, Batik Queen on the Beach, is commendable, with interposed patterning around the serene face of a woman, juxtaposed with intense designing and textures, which portray metaphors of another world.
Some large works in oil and acrylic, lacking combination of objects and characteristics, created illogical, startling works, and failed to evoke my senses of emotion.
PRICES: Ranging from Rs 4,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh
WHERE: Ujwal Art Gallery, Vagator
WHEN: Till March 20, 2022
TIMINGS: 10 am to 9 pm
CONTACT: +91 97648 47397 or +91 98220 14484