Kangra artist honours former PM Vajpayee in Guler miniature style

The Kangra Kalam-Guler style had yet another opportunity to showcase its class profoundly enriched in delicacy of lines and brilliance of colours.

To mark the centenary birth celebrations of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a national art camp was organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, at the Lalit Kala Academy in Delhi.

The art camp was aimed to bring out on canvas the life and ideals which Vajpayee lived for. To accomplish this task, 17 artists from different states of the country participated in the event, held from December 19 to December 25 in New Delhi.

Suresh Chaudhary, a budding young artist from Kangra district and a research scholar at the Department of Visual Arts, Central University, Dharamsala, participated to put forth his imagination, representing the state.

His work was influenced by the Kangra miniature style.

Talking to The Tribune, Suresh said, “The main figure in the picture is of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Looking closer at his face, the softness and strong sketching of Guler style can be seen. The picture has the influence of contemporary as well as Guler style. Atal ji has been shown in his youth in an expression bearing smile, and tenderness.”

The acrylic-medium painting is made on a 3ft by 4ft canvas. It portrays the Vajpayee during his childhood, writing on the wall. The painting features extracts from his poem: “I would neither give up nor stop as I write and erase on the forehead of destiny”.

Vajpayee is depicted standing in front of a saffron-coloured sun. On the right side of the painting, the mythological Garuda is shown sitting on a bamboo — a symbol of spirituality, wit and responsibility.