Anatomy of life

Manpriya Singh 

An apple could take any form on the canvas—that of an apple seed, an apple tree, an apple orchard. Depends on the viewer and, of course, the maker. Realist, impressionist and abstract; paintings in a wide variety of mediums, sculptures, photographs and graphics all come together in a group show, aptly called Varied Hues. “There are as many as 38 artists exhibiting more than 120 paintings and sculptures,” Raman Minglani, one of the four co-curators fills in the initial blanks.  

The flora and the fauna

The works inspired by flowers and floral beauty and nature seem to find a proud place in many of the artists’ works. Starting with Meenu Munjal, who can’t have enough of flowers on the canvas. “I am a teacher and we introduce children to art works through flowers, that’s explains my fascination.” Moving on, there is a series by Winky Kaur that yet again brings the beauty of nature, chirping birds, lilies, flora and the fauna. “It’s a celebration of abundance around us that we often overlook,” she adds. 

The cityscapes 

The series titled s by Mukesh Minj, water colours on paper, brings out the strange aesthetics of city life. A busy street corner, concrete buildings and human existence, constantly in rush. Urban chaos is redefined by artist Prabhakar Dabral in his works that both brings out the beauty and thought-provoking nature of cramped urban spaces. It’s chaotic, busy, strangely addictive; just like his works. 

Abstract thoughts

Sandeep Kumar’s works, strictly in coloured ball point pen on paper, make the viewer pause and dig deeper. In front of you is a life-size image of bags and suitcases, Army trunks that definitely convey a thousand words. In yet another work by him, there is a pair of black boots and Army cargo pants; showcasing the life of an Army jawan. 

In the wilderness 

A tiger staring right in the eye and zebras in movement are both by Aditi Chahar, a passionate photographer whose desire to capture and freeze moments takes her to several places. “The tiger is from Ranthambore while the zebras were clicked Masai Mara in Kenya,” she points while sharing how she has tigers in every imaginable mood. “When they are yawning, sleeping, on the hunt.” But she chose this because, “in this, the tiger is so still, yet so threatening because he is staring right into the lens.” Click! 

Other participating artists include prominent names from the city like Ravinder Sharma, Prabhinder Lall, among others. 

manpriya@tribunemail.com 

On till December 3 at Panjab 
Kala Bhawan—16, Chandigarh.