KATHMANDU, June 12 : A jolly bunch of men and women depicted in rural attires of India, and the use of vibrant colors at ‘Ethnic Rhythms 2’ is a safe bait to allure visitor’s attention. Mukesh Bijole and Mahavir Verma have expressed the ethnic lifestyle and their way of celebrating life through the medium of colors in the exhibition jointly organized by the duo.
The paintings portray the rhythm of the daily lifestyle and celebrations of the ethnic India people. Both painters have depicted joy, playfulness, togetherness, and vibrancy of life in their paintings, representing the vivid souls of the places.
Bijole is a self-taught artist who has been painting using minimalistic approach since the last 25 years. Speaking about the current exhibition, he said, “I have depicted folk-life and the people of Madhya Pradesh in contemporary form. And I choose festivities and celebration as my subject matter. I believe any form of art helps to live a soulful life, and I aspire to showcase my art around the world and at the same time spread our culture in the world.”
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Despite the similarity in motifs and the theme of their exhibition, both painters have presented unique personas in their artworks. In a painting by Bijole, the artist has used acrylics on canvas, to paint a man and woman in bold black lines without any facial features. Nonetheless, the figurative form suggests the viewers that the couple is having a conversation while sharing an umbrella. In the background of the same painting, he has used tale blue color having a grey stroke in the middle. He has painted the woman’s dress in orange and pink while the man’s dress is orange and white.
Meanwhile, Verma who admits to painting for joy has also signified celebrating of life. Using a mix media where he has presented a figurine of man and woman in black and white etched in acrylics. The art uses different motifs like umbrellas, and musical instruments, giving a unique tone to his paintings.
Speaking about the development of his technique, Verma expressed, “During the initial phase in the art field, I couldn’t afford brushes and colors. Hence I found ink to be an accessible medium for me. As I practiced using ink, I gradually began to add colors to my painting which has been my signature style now. My paintings are all about my surrounding where I grew experiencing tribal life. Life’s a joy and its rhythm is represented in my paintings.”
The exhibition began last Friday at Mithila Yain Art Gallery, Thamel and will continue till Wednesday.
