There's a common thread that connects artists from M.F. Husain to Leonardo da Vinci. Apart from being great painters, both of them loved to paint their soulmate, or the one they admired the most, on the canvas. Kolkata-based artist Bratin Khan has been painting Krishna in his works since the year 1990, the year he debuted in art. As the master of traditional and folklore themes, Khan calls the lord as his muse through which he has been depicting an array of emotions such as peace, love, harmony and tranquility, keeping Krishna as the central subject.
“It's the call of my soul to create Krishna on the canvas. I consider him as an antibody who helps in fighting all the evils that exist in the society,” he says.
Pune based-artist Sandeep Chhatraband too has a soulmate. He describes it as his love for Varanasi that comes alive in water colours and acrylics on canvas, in vivid tones. His works depict the scenes at the holy city and the stories of its ghats. On the other hand, artist Arpan Bhowmick's soulmate is not a person, but the city that is Kolkata. He sketches his tribute towards his hometown by presenting it in a nostalgic manner using monochrome colours as a background and highlighting the central character with acrylics on canvas.
These artists, along with 17 others eminent contemporary artists from across India, are now coming together to showcase their love for the one they admire on the canvas in a group show 'Soulmate' that is set to take place at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre from June 1 to 4. The show will feature artworks in oil and acrylic paintings, along with sculptures in metal and ceramic, and will highlight the various facets such as Indian mythology, religious thoughts, vintage theme, culture, life and nature. Unlike other exhibitions, where artists create art works according to a them, 'Soulmate' does not revolve around a theme.
Renu Kera, director, National Institute of Fine Arts, said the idea of not adding a theme as a creative move. “We never wanted to bound the artists by giving them a theme. Since 'Soulmate' brings together both masters from Indian art circuit and promising upcoming artists, we wanted them to show us their perception of soulmate on the canvas, which may or may not necessarily mean their partner,” she says.
The four-day show touches upon the thought of art as a soulmate that is aligned with the artists' soul. The show will also feature Sujata Bajaj, Niladri Paul, G. Subramanian and Sandeep Chhatraband amongst others.