Art by Kudalayya Hiremath from Pune on display at Ephemeral Permanence
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Kala for Vidya is an annual fundraiser that supports the education of underprivileged children. Presented by the Rotary Club of Bangalore, this year marks the 18th edition of this initiative and has been curated by Amita Shenoy, founder of the Shenoy Art Foundation in Bengaluru.
This exhibition will feature the works of as many as 41 artists from all over India, and over 100 works of art including paintings, sculptures, graphics and more, will be on display.
According to curator Amita Shenoy, the idea behind this show was to bring artists and the community together. “The artists contribute by creating works that resonate with the theme, and the audience buy it knowing full well that the proceeds go towards a charitable cause, and at the same time, they get a chance to enjoy great art. It’s a win-win for everyone,“ says Amita, who has curated this show for Kala for Vidya, a couple of times in the past as well.
Titled Ephemeral Permanence: Stories of Nature, this year’s exhibition took shape over a period of six months, with Rotarians and Amita working together “with no other expectations, but the cause.”
Kaavi kale work by Janardhan Rao Havanje from Manipal at Ephemeral Permanence
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Amita says she centred the show around the idea of permanence within the fleeting. “Though the wonders in Nature appear short-lived, since they are all cyclical they are permanent in a way. For instance, you enjoy the beauty of a sunrise, knowing it is temporary. However, the sun will rise the following day too. This is the cycle of growth in Nature that applies to our spiritual being as well. There is a connection with Nature and humans, and each artist has revealed their vision of this idea in their own unique fashion.”
This notion of renewal, restoration and rejuvenation, captivated the creativity of many an artist.
Mumbai-based artist Sujata Achrekar who is participating in the show for the first time, says once she heard about the cause she was eager to create for it. “For this show, I have attempted to capture a self-aware state of being where one is unruffled in any situation. People attain that frame of mind in different ways — philosophy, meditation or religion — and that spiritual journey is what I attempt to capture in my work,” says Sujata.
“That is the reason one can find allusions to miniatures and motifs such as chakras and brahmi flowers in my work,” adds the artist whose preferred medium is acrylic on canvas, and occasionally, gold foil.
Another first-timer to the show is Raghava KK from Bengaluru who says the theme resonated deeply with him. “What we know about Nature is that it is mysterious and unknowing, at the same time calming and familiar. That was my response to the curated prompt I received from Amita for this show,” says Raghava.
Art by Sachin Jaltare from Hyderabad at Ephemeral Permanence
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“Besides, as an artist, the only promise I can offer is that I will keep changing and not be confined to one particular style which is why the theme appealed to me,” he says, adding that the idea of the show to fund the education of children won him over instantly.
Works by artists from all over India such as Amit Bhar, Manish Chavda, Amol Pawar, Laxman Aelay and RB Bhaskar will be on display alongside their counterparts in the city, including Ganapati Hedge, Manjunath Wali and Janardhan Rao Havanje who creates with kaavi kale, a traditional art form from the Konkan region.
“Each one has used their own medium, style and expression, to interpret this concept and depict how it speaks to them. Visitors will get to see over 100 different expressions of this notion at the venue,” says Amita.
Ephemeral Permanence will be inaugurated on February 28 at 6pm. It will be on display on March 1 and 2 at ITC Windsor.
Published – February 27, 2025 01:05 pm IST
