#IndianMastersRetrospectiveExhibition Featuring paintings and sketches by artist #ShiavaxChavda Friday, December 21, 2018 to Sunday, January 6, 2019

Indian Masters' Retrospective Exhibition Featuring paintings and sketches by artist Shiavax Chavda WHAT: Indian Masters' Retrospective Exhibition - artist Shiavax Chavda WHEN: Friday, December 21, 2018 to Sunday, January 6, 2019 WHERE: The Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Worli, Mumbai TIMINGS: 11am to 7 pm For any further details or media-related information, please contact - Jeroo Chavda 9820826904.jeroochavda@gmail.com Sanaya Chavda sanayaa@gmail.com ........................ The Nehru Centre Art Gallery proudly presents their Indian Masters Retrospective Exhibition featuring the original works of one of the pioneers of Indian modern art, Shiavax Chavda. This is the 26th year of this prestigious annual event. A large number of art connoisseurs and students alike await this exhibition that showcases works from some of the finest Indian artists. Shiavax Chavda, who was part of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, held his first show at the Taj Mahal Hotel Prince's Room in 1945. He gave top priority to drawing and was considered a master draughtsman. Over his four-decade career, he was felicitated as fellow of the Lalit Kala Academi in 1986 and awarded Artist of the year by the Maharashtra State government in 1990. The artist experimented in various artistic styles studying and recreating with his deft strokes the human body, birds, serpents and other animals, Balinese masks, famous Indian ancient temples and cave sculptures, Indian musicians, classical Indian dancers, semi-abstract and abstract art. He worked with paper, canvas, silk, plywood, Chinese ink, crayon, watercolours, tempera and oils. Chavda’s paintings are part of collections both in India and abroad including the Victoria & Albert Museum London, Budapest Museum, The National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Baroda museum, corporate houses like Tatas, institutions like Northcote nursing home and other private and public collections in India and abroad. He has held more than 40 one-man shows in cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Singapore, London, Paris, Zurich and New York. The artist passed away on August 18, 1990 at the age of 76, but his work continues to be an inspiration to younger artists till today. About the artist Shiavax Chavda Early life and studies Shiavax Chavda was born on June 18, 1914 in Navsari, Gujarat to a Parsi couple (Allamai and Dhunjibhoy Chavda) Right from an early age, Chavda showed a great interest and promise in drawing. He began his formal training at The JJ School of Arts, Bombay in 1931 where he earned his Diploma in Fine Arts. From 1934-37, he participated in the prestigious, The Bombay Arts Society competitions and won several prizes which further encouraged him. Post a scholarship grant from The Tata Trust, Chavda headed to London for further studies at The Slade School. He was the first Indian to be given exemption to complete the three years course in two years. In 1939, he was awarded The Sir William Orpen Bursary at the Slade. Chavda always considered himself very fortunate to have studied under one of the greatest European draughtsmen of his times professor Mr Randolph Schwabe and then to have learnt stage decor under Mr Vladimir Polunin, pupil of the great Russian stage designer Leon Bakst. At the Slade, he spent two years drawing human figures from life and acquired a sound knowledge of draughtsmanship and composition. Alongside The Slade, Chavda also studied Commercial Art at the evening college at St Martin’s in London and at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris, he took courses in portraiture, bas-reliefs and restoration. Artistic influences During his summer vacations, Chavda would visit galleries at The Louvre in Paris and The British Museum in London for a greater study of the old masters. He studied Michelangelo’s work as well as Indian Miniatures, to gain an insight into the classical and traditional essentials of the compositions. In 1939, at the advent of The Second World War, Chavda had to return to India. He explored his home country, touring many villages around his hometown Navsari in Gujarat and making hundreds of sketches of people, their homes and livestock. He traversed the country going to Bihar, South India, Ajanta Ellora, Nagaland and Mizoram, Sanchi and Kashmir. Art magazine Marg carried his detailed sketches from his Kashmir trip. He also toured Bali, Indonesia, with the Borobudur and Prambanan temples, filling his numerous sketchbooks. Love for Dance Chavda was a lover of all forms of art including dance. He was given permission to stand in the wings and sketch the ballet performances of Sadler’s Wells Ballet company at The Covent Gardens, London This increased his sensitivity for stage décor, costumes, and backdrops which he later put to use in 1941 while designing stage and costume for Austrian dancer Hilge Holger’s dance production and as the art director for the Hindi film Amrapali. Upon his return to India, Chavda watched a beautiful dance recital by Uday Shankar and The Vajifdar Sisters (the first Parsi dance company to perform Indian classical and folk dance) Later in 1947, Chavda went on to marry Khurshid, the second sister of the dancing trio. The other two sisters - eldest Shirin Vajifdar married noted author Mulk Raj Anand, and the youngest Roshan married Dr Hirenmaya Ghose. Notable works and achievements • In 1947 he taught at the evening course at J.J.College. From 1947-49, he taught artists Pilloo Pochkhanawala, Mehlli Gobhai, Kaiser Irani and Silloo Bharucha. • 1n 1947, he was commissioned a mural ‘Triumphant Aerial Return of Ram & Sita from Sri Lanka’ by Air India for their Bombay office. • In 1948, Chavda won The Dolly Khurshedji prize for his mural in colour, at The Gujarat Samachar building. • In 1956, he was elected as 1 of the 9 Eminent Artists of India. • In 1964-65, he was commissioned the Air-India mural in their office in Washington DC • In 1969, he executed a mural for Gandhi Darshan, Parliament House, New Delhi. • In 1985 felicitated by The Abhivadan Trust Award–Gujarat. • In 1986, he was felicitated by The Gujarat Lalit Kala Akademi. • In 1981, he was commissioned three 20 x 18 feet murals at The National Centre Of The Performing Arts (NCPA) on the Tantric theme, that’s still on display. • In 1986, he was elected as Fellow of The Lalit Kala Akademi. • In 1987, felicitated by The Valsad Jilla Chitrashisak Sangh & Navsari Nagarpallika Award –Gujarat. • In 1990, awarded The Artist of the year-1990 by the Maharashtra Government.

"#RhythmOfLife" at #TheBombayArtSociety from October 20-24, 2018. #AuraArt #JohnsonThomas

Amazon India and Aura Art are delighted to present a Fine Art Show titled "Rhythm of Life" at The Bombay Art Society from October 20-24, 2018. This show featuring an exciting collection of over 80 paintings by 30 reputed artists of the country is Amazon's first Art Show in India. The ecatalogue of the Show is available at eFlipBook Details of the Show are: Dates: 20th to 24th October 2018 Time: Oct 20, 2018 - 5.30pm to 8pm, Oct 21 to 24, 2018 - 11am to 7pm Inauguration: 6pm on 20th October 2018 Venue: The Bombay Art Society, Galleries 2 and 3, First Floor, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra (West), Mumbai Besides offering a visual treat, the show provides an opportunity to an aspiring collector to select from choicest works of promising emerging artists to established Masters. Artworks are available for purchase at www.amazon.in/art. # B073QJ8DJP, Untitled by Vrindavan Solanki, Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inches, 2012/14, Rs 392,000 # B07HXYQ7WW, Mother give me the alms by Vasudeo Kamath, Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches, Rs 89,600 # B07HQQF696, Monk - 18-II by Prakash Ghadge, Pen and ink on canvas, 30 x 40 inches, 2018, Rs 235,200 # B07HXRVFK5, Petrichor by Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, Acrylic on canvas, 41 x 39 inches, 2014, Rs 123,200 # B07D6MV5JB, Mindscape by Vikash Kalra, Oil on canvas, 36 x 72 inches, 2012, Rs 504,000 # B07D6MMGJY, Untitled by BR Bodade, Oil on canvas, 48 x 72 inches, 2017, Rs 403,200 # B07HQNYGTD, Bull of Heaven by Sandip Visave, Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48 inches, 2018, Rs 100,800 # B07HY2DFNH, Drawing 2 by Madan Lal, Water colour and pen on paper, 22 x 30 inches, 2018, Rs 30,240 # B0746HJQWZ, Village life by Chandrakant Tajbije, Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inches, 2015, Rs 39,200 Curator's Note In this art show, Rhythm of Life, a conscious effort has been made to connect with the poetic essence in man. Nothing indeed can obviate this latent, inner sensitivity of his being, derived from the wonderful sounds and sights of life and nature he has been exposed to. And this needs to be revived and experienced if only to relate with the ultimate spirit of which he is a part. Rhythm of Life is directed exactly to achieving this goal. This show is a happy mix of nature and of life experiences, of the mystical spew of colours in distant horizons, of the human spirit to endure and of inward-looking isolation, of commitment and God's unquestionable presence in and around our lives. There's a rhythm that characterises our life on this earth and this show attempts to portray, in more ways than one, the beauty of that rhythm. Amazon, the Amazon logo & Amazon.in are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Multi-talented artist #PallaviGuptaa showcase at #AuraArt

An Expression of Divinity Multi-talented artist Pallavi Guptaa has a lot of burgeoning creativity that she channelizes through her soulful art works, insightful books and spiritual poetry. Being a regular practitioner of kriya yoga for the past 12 years, all expressions in her art works are thus produced to bring to the silent observer a surge of energy that flows through her on to the canvas. Pallavi has been directly initiated and guided into the traditional form of Indian yogic practice by her Guru. These practices, which are meant to stimulate the energy centers, help her connect to the life force itself while reflecting both, the intensity of her initiations and the state of meditativeness which follow the activity. The colors she uses to express this are dark and luminous, and merge in harmony through her highly skilled multiple layering technique. The communication of balance and ultimate liberation is the one-pointed focus of her works. They convey a clear message of the great Possibility the human consciousness holds. In all her art, one encounters a profoundness that slowly draws you within as it gently reveals the realm of the artist’s inner world. The eye, an all seeing eye, shows up as a leitmotif in some of the works as if a witness to it all. The paintings evoke, within a perceptive observer, the balance between still presence and radiating love. An ardent worshipper of the feminine divine, Pallavi attributes all credit of her work to Shakti and considers herself but a mere medium for Her expressions. More works by the artist available at www.auraart.in

#R.I.P #Shaila Parikh, June 4, 1931 - June 17, 2018

#AuraArt presents an opportunity to acquire rare collectibles in drawings and paintings by master artist #KrishenKhanna

Aura Art presents an opportunity to acquire rare collectibles in drawings and paintings by master artist Krishen Khanna Well known and widely respected artist Padma Bhushan Krishen Khanna was born in Lyallpur (now Faislabad in Pakistan) in 1925. After attending the Imperial Service College from 1938 to 1942, Krishen Khanna enrolled at Government College, Lahore, from 1942 to 1944. In 1946 he started working with Grindlays Bank. In 1961 he resigned from the bank and devoted his full-time to art. Though in his early works one could see abstractions coming through now and then, it was the human form and the situations of these human beings which anchored him into figuration. His works display a distinct narrative, at times quite representational and direct and at times metaphorical. In some works one can glean the presence of the angst and existentialism which one can see in artists who practiced Modernism from a few decades ago. The way the figures are shown in motion is very reminiscent of Post Impressionist style where the brush strokes dominate and direct the composition as does the play of light and shade in the works. The mastery of line, form, movement and an air of deep emotion is visible in Krishen Khanna’s misty compositions. The people he chooses to portray seem to be hopeful at times, and at times in complete surrender to their destiny. The musicians often bring about an aching melody which rings in the exquisite lines of the works. Krishen Khanna is a painter of rarity and immense grace in our times where social issues grind the life force of the common people. It is an inspiration and an honour to see a veteran’s work addressing humane issues over the decades, which he continues to do so, till date.

Art from Clothes

Artist #SandeepYadav's Ultramarine Peacocks at #AuraArt

Artist Sandeep Yadav blends the colour blue of an ultramarine hue into the paper and lo and behold a beautiful bird manifests. This is the remarkable skill that this artist has displayed in his beautifully rendered water colour works. Sandeep has a Diploma in Commercial Art from Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya along with a Diploma in Painting from Kalasagar Kala Mahavidyalaya Pune. Together his education gives him the know how of handling shape, form, line and colour. His works appear simplistic at first glance and one is tempted to associate the numerous renditions of the national bird, Peacock to some kind of spiritual or religious undertones. Yet, the artist in him implies tranquility in all these works. Whether the bird is shown foraging alone in the woods or forest areas or if there is boy-talk happening at the watering hole in the jungle amongst many peacocks, the impression the viewer is given is that of peace and harmony. In a world torn apart by hate and discrimination, Sandeep waves the gentle fans of love and peace through these exquisite works. The interesting part about these works is that none of these ‘proud’ birds appear proud or arrogant, and that is something to notice in time of fragile egos and easily hurt sentiments. More works by the artist available at www.auraart.in

RANJANI SHETTAR Seven ponds and a few raindrops @ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

RANJANI SHETTAR Seven ponds and a few raindrops @ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY March 12 - August 12, 2018 Indian sculptor Ranjani Shettar (b. 1977) combines natural and industrial materials—such as beeswax, wood, organic dyes, vegetal pastes, lacquer, steel, and cloth—in her large-scale installations. Typically composed of numerous non-representational forms, Shettar's immersive environments are inspired by her observations of the now-threatened natural environs of rural India. For Seven ponds and a few raindrops (2017), the artist molded pieces of stainless steel into a series of sensual, curved, amoebic, shape-shifting elements that have been covered in tamarind-stained muslin. Suspended from the ceiling, the work seems to defy gravity, casting a series of mesmerizing shadows, which, from a distance, evoke the sense of having stumbled upon a surreal, hidden-away oasis. ALSO UPCOMING http://talwargallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ranjanithumb1-150x150.jpg RANJANI SHETTAR On and on it goes on @TALWAR Gallery, New York March 10 - June 30, 2018