Two Ahmedabadi artists to launch an aesthetic exhibition and book on various hues of these three cities in Ahmedabad today
Three-dimensional art-painting installations, unique use of powder and cloth colours, carpets and statues – an extraordinary effort to explore three cities, Jaisalmer, Varanasi and Florence, and their popular culture, viewed through the lens and canvas in form of an exhibition and book – is what makes Nagarnama by Harshil Patel and Chaitya Dhanvi Shah.
Two Ahemedabadi artists – painter Harshil Patel and art curator Chaitya Dhanvi Shah have attempted a sublime synthesis of images and perceptions of cities.
Harshil has previously displayed his art works at two painting exhibitions in city in 2005 (25 painting) and 2008 (84 paintings). This third edition of his display exhibits 115 paintings.
Explaining theme of this third exhibition and his debut book, Harshil says, “Jaisalmer was the most exciting journey for deciphering popular Indian culture, which was amazingly sought in its colourful and vivid culture. Varanasi was found best in its formless forms, which are inclusive of the city’s divine life on its ghats and its sacred idols. Similarly, Florence was awe-inspiring in its unusual architectural styles and street fashion in window displays. Moe than anything else, the word ‘fashion’ stood synonym for Florence in a true sense. And I have tried to capture my memoirs of exploring these cities and interpretations of its popular culture through paintings.”
Chaitya, an art curator who often travels miles to explore art and has curated various shows at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai also, says, “We have structured this exhibition in three parts. We have literally created Florence using colourful clothes and carpets, have created Varanasi by using idols, statues and powder colours like abil, gulal and kumkum and have created Jesalmer with use of colourful threads and strings.”
The curator of this exhibition and the book Chaitya who has experimented and wrote about the work of several artists like Bansi Khatri, Yashwant Shirwadkar, Bhanu Shah along with a detailed interview of Ratan Parimoo and Vrundavan Solanki has also been awarded the ‘Emerging Entrepreneur’ by the SME’s Gujarat in Ahmedabad and ‘Rastriya Ratna Udhyog Award’ in Mumbai in 2012 for excellence in art field.
Chitya says, “The innovative catalogue and concept of artist Harshil Patel’s Nagarnama – II was highly appreciated in India as well as abroad. The catalogue is now in the collection of Library of Congress, Washington DC. And we aim higher with launch of Nagarmana III – a unique book that narrates the process of translating the journey and its exploration into form of paintings.” The duo Chaitya and Harshil aim to take art to the masses and create awareness that reach of art has be widened if focused on popular culture.
