Members from various royal families will come together to display their artworks at a forthcoming exhibition. By Karan Bhardwaj
A ceremonial cow walks straight out of a pichwai painting onto a pop art canvas. An old jalopy embellished in Swarovski on top of a trunk, a gentle Buddhist monk caught in a reverent picture frame and wildlife in all its hues emerges on a host of media. A forthcoming exhibition Royal Fables brings motley of creations by different members of royal families. As a kid, Krishna Kumari, daughter of Maharaja Manvendra Singh of Panna, never gave wildlife a miss even for a day. Though she grew up and studied in Mumbai, her father would take them to jungles almost every day. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise when her artworks, which will be presented in the fifth edition of Royal Fables this weekend, are heavily inspired by the wild animals. She has given 25 pieces for the exhibition and a few of them are porcelain works. “I began with wildlife photography and suddenly got attracted towards porcelain art. It’s fascinating and practised by a few people in India,” says the privileged artist. Her art comprises boxes, trays, frames and plates and have animals painted on them. “I went to Italy in 2011 to learn porcelain under two famed artists, Filipe Pereira and Paola Cenciarelli. It was a two-week course,” informs the artist who had her first exhibition in Hong Kong. Krishna, 40, also manages school and college started by her grandparents. “I have plenty of wildlife memories. What has become a rare sight was a common view for us. There was less infrastructure in Panna National Park then. We would get down barefoot and see lions and tigers so closely. It was fun and adventurous,” she recalls. Another royal kid featuring in the exhibition is Padmini Singh from Chhota Udaipur (Rajasthan). She too is inspired by wildlife and has over 15 paintings of flora and fauna. She does acrylic on canvas and the big ones have been priced around Rs25,000. It’s been over a decade as a painter and she is also designer. “My brother is into scarf business and I design animal prints on them,” says the artist who showcased her last in June in Ahmedabad. She also runs a heritage hotel in Mount Abu.
Capturing real life in its pristine form is art photographer Vikramaditya Singh of Jammu & Kashmir. There is a sense of silence, a celebration of rich textures and a depth of form that comes to life in his frames. Driving through Kashmir and Palampur, he often pauses to capture the sun setting on a valley, an evening at a monastery or the many layered Himalayas. “Through my photographs, I portray the peace and serenity of the valley,” he says. Besides landscape he also likes to photograph people. “I like to project people in their own environment, feeling at home and at peace with themselves.” Royal Fables started five years ago brings various creations of the royal families under one roof. There are jewellery, home décor, artworks and special initiatives featuring every year. It will take place at The Foyer at One Style Mile, Mehrauli during October 18-20.