Society of Contemporary Arts showcases its 65th anniversary exhibition
In our photo essay from Bangalore International Centre, we feature creative works from an eminent artists group.
Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 800 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.
Creative works by the Society of Contemporary Artists (SCA) are featured in Bengaluru this month in a two-phase exhibition. The first phase was held at Bangalore International Centre (BIC), and the second phase will run through September 8 at Gallery Time and Space.
Established in 1960, SCA has been promoting regional modernism in India’s art movement. Its founding members included Shyamal Dutta Ray, Sanat Kar, Nikhil Biswas, Arun Bose, Sukanto Bose, Anil Baran Saha, Sailen Mitra and Sunil Das.
A range of accomplished practitioners carried on this legacy, such as Bikash Bhattacharya, Ganesh Pyne, Somnath Hore, Ajit Chakraborty, Amitabha Banerjee, Suhas Roy, Dharmanarayan Dasgupta, Ganesh Haloi, Manu Parekh, Niranjan Pradhan, and Lalu Prasad Shaw.
SCA is regarded as the oldest active artist group in India. Their showcase in Bengaluru includes bronze heads, woodcuts, lyrical sculptures, reinterpretations of mythology, magical realism, and semi-abstract artworks.
The second phase of the exhibition will be at Lavelle Road’s Gallery Time and Space. The gallery was founded in 1998 by art collector Renu George.
“The arts are relevant to the times and a means of interpreting the inner and outer worlds,” Renu George tells YourStory.
In this photo essay, we feature highlights from the exhibition at BIC, which showcased paintings and sculptures of 18 artists. The lineup includes Aditya Basak, Akhil Chandra Das, Asish Chowdhury, Atanu Bhattacharya, Atin Basak, Bholanath Rudra, Bimal Kundu, BR Panesar, and David Malakar.
“Today, while celebrating their 65th anniversary, the present members are upholding the legacy and continue to create critical dialogues,” art historian Soujit Das explains.
Featured artworks in Part I of our photo essay include Mother and Child (Niranjan Pradhan), Thirsty Bird (Rajen Mandal), Durga and Goats (Asish Chowdhury), and Nostalgia (Aditya Basak).
Other works are The Monk (Akhil Chandra Das), Flower Sutra and Village Goddess (Manu Parekh), Still Life (Manoj Dutta), and The Dog (Sunil Kumar Das).
The themes of the exhibition cover spirituality, political movements, natural forms, and the quest for balance in society and life.
The curated collection invites visitors to walk around the artwork along multiple paths. Viewing the exhibits from different angles helps draw a range of interpretations and combinations, taking the impact of the artworks to another dimension.
Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?
(All photographs were taken by Madanmohan Rao on location at the gallery.)
Edited by Suman Singh
