Artists from countries like Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam were part of a week-long camp by ICCR in Darjeeling last year. Their works are displayed at Azad Bhawan and they speak volumes on the artists’ Indian experience
Hills, monasteries, tea estates and markets of Darjeeling were buzzing with some extra activity in June last year. Artists from countries like Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and India came together to be a part of a one week-long camp organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). The exhibition was curated by Sushma K Bahl and Archana B Sapra. The result of the interaction, discussion was over fifty art works, out of which 44 are selected and displayed in the exhibition Merging Metaphors at Azad Bhawan.
“The project involved the artists living, working and interacting with each other in a mix of structured program and open-ended options and informal gatherings to make it a forum for reflection, relaxation and rejuvenation of body and mind leading to renewed creativity. There was time and facilities to draw, paint, write or do other things in the mornings, visits to local sites of art historical or cultural significance in the afternoons and discussions, interactions and slideshows in the evenings to facilitate networking, information sharing and building mutual understanding,” shared Archana.
The artworks were inspired from the scenic beauty, culture and the first-hand experiences of the artists. Archana informed, “One of the artists went to the local markets and collected wood to create a sculpture with over nine boxes — since there were nine countries. Each box was connected with the PVC pipes. The pipes were used to denote the connection or how the Eastern countries are linked to each other. The artist interestingly used turmeric in the sculpture. Haldi was one Indian spice that he really liked because of its fragrance and I told him about the healing and medicinal properties of haldi and he was impressed. Haldi was used as a symbol of India in his work. The other artists works were influenced by the people they met in India, the cuisine they ate and some were inspired by the beauty of Darjeeling. You can find Buddha as a part of the exhibition too.”
Archana said that some of the participating artists are renowned across the globe and it was a great experience to see them presenting India and their experience on the canvas. One of the artists from Brunei, Osman Mohammad, is a vice president of Brunei Art Forum. He is actively engaged in promoting art in his home country. His repertoire in varied forms and multimedia; ranges from art and design to broadcasting, management and development. His work has been exhibited by the Brunei Artists Association in Darussalam as well as venues in other countries including at the 14th Asian Art Biennale, Bangladesh and in Tokyo. His work has been exhibited in london, at Norwich, Fukuoka, Bangkok, Kuala lumpur, Washington and at Brunei Museum. Dato SK Choo is a former diplomat and watercolourist of repute, whose work has been exhibited across Malaysia in various solo and group shows, as well as in Japan, US, India, Sweden and Singapore. “Apart from the participating artists the camp was a great experience for everyone involved. I was impressed by the fact that artists from places like Cambodia and Vietnam, who would not have had enough resources, are excellent artists and have exhibited their works across the globe,” said Archana.
Among the Indian artists’ works there is Seema Kohli’s Golden Womb series and Tapas Sarkar’s painting that reflects the Kalighat style. Benoy Verghese’s work is also displayed.
The exhibition continues till June 4.