‘Manifestations VI’ in New Delhi

Delhi Art Gallery presents the latest edition of its ambitious signature bi-annual show, entitled ‘Manifestations VI’ featuring an assortment of seventy-five significant artists from its collection.

The exhibition features a strong selection of early Indian art, from several academic oil works by well-known Indian artists of the early 20th century such as Raja Ravi Varma, Pestonji Bomanji, M. V. Dhurandhar, M. F. Pithawalla and J. P. Gangooly to wash technique works by artists affiliated to the Bengal School such as Nandalal Bose, Badri Nath Arya, Asit Kumar Haldar, Muhammad Abdur Rahman Chughtai and Kshitindranath Majumdar.

Also featured from this early period are artists Benode Behari Mukherjee, Jamini Roy, Gopal Deuskar, Gopal Ghose, Radha Charan Bagchi, Indra Dugar, D. P. Roy Chowdhury and Bireswar Sen. The selection goes on to feature Indian modernists who charted their own artistic trajectories, such as Somnath Hore, Chittaprosad, Ram Kumar, Prokash Karmakar, K. S. Kulkarni, V. S. Panicker, Gulammohammed Sheikh, M. F. Husain and F. N. Souza.

Usually dominated by 20th century modern Indian art, 'Manifestations VI' will feature works spanning three centuries, from a ‘Company Painting’ set in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, done by Thomas Daniell for the East India Company in the 1790s, to an Early Bengal work of a ferocious Kali astride a supine Shiva, to several 20th century modern works.

A noteworthy feature of this exhibition is the showcasing of early works of significant artists such as Biren De, V. S. Gaitonde and G. R. Santosh completely unlike what they painted later and the styles and concerns they came to be known by. These early works expand our understanding of the artists’ range and chart the journey of their artistic careers.

A comprehensive book accompanies the exhibition. Each work chosen for exhibition is discussed in detail by an art scholar, to arrive at an understanding of its importance and uniqueness. Films on some of the artists from the Delhi Art Gallery archive will also be screened as part of the event.

(Information courtesy: Delhi Art Gallery)