The fourth edition of Mumbai Art Fair opened on a promising note with celebrities gracing the occasion along with over a thousand artists from across India. It was a moment of joy and excitement for the artists who participated at the fourth edition of the art fiesta.
Celebrities of the likes of Dr. Jaspinder Narula, Dr. Soma Ghosh, Leslee Lewis, Anuradha Paudwal, Pandit Jeetu Shankar, Rajendra, Kavya Jones, and Dr. Anusha Srinivasan Iyer graced the occasion. The Mumbai Art Fair enlivened the spirit of the artists whose works were on display.
Known for consistently promoting hundreds of artists every year, the art fair provided the platform to exhibit, expand network of art buyers and artists, and increase visibility of their work. This has not only created the selling opportunities while gaining visibility, but also build confidence amongst the young and emerging artists as they get feedback from their peers!
This year, there were many art galleries participating at Mumbai Art Fair as well. The curator Art, Gallery Beyond, Bouquet of Art Gallery and Greyscale from Mumbai, Artecious Gallery, Aura Planet from Delhi, B G Sharma Studio Arts and Narendra Arts & Handicrafts from Udaipur and Maryat Art Gallery, Dubai are currently showcasing here.
The most promising artists who have created their own niche in the art world exhibiting in this edition include Monica Ghule, Antra Shrivastava, Ridhi Parekh, Dev Mehta, Kanishka Mehra, Akshata Shetty, Kumar Gaikwad, Ghanshyam Gupta, Shaymal Mukherjee, Gautam Patole and Kanchan Mahante, are showcasing their best exquisite paintings. A heady mix of vibrant paintings in figurative style by Nandini Verma, Suman Dabholkar, Surendran Kunju Pillai can also be seen at the Fair.
The highly symbolic works of Praggya Saamor, Mala Doshi, Praveena Parepalli, Saleel Wagh, Vasanthakumar, Saudamini Sharma, Goutam Das, Krishna Bhardwaj are representations of our diverse socio-cultural identities. Narendra Arts & Handicrafts & B G Sharma Studio from Udaipur, and ArtSage from Mumbai are showcasing exquisite Pichwai paintings whereas OPS Art Gallery, New Delhi is presenting entire gamut of Indian traditional arts which include Pichwai, Kalamari, Warli, Gond, Kangra, and Kalighat paintings. Some who are experimenting with various traditional art styles exhibiting in the Art Fair include Dhanya Namboothiri, Meena Ananthanarayanan, Umashankar Shah, Harinath, Neha Kamble, Jagruti Thakker, Anagha Shrihari Kulkarni, Ranjana Kumar, and Premal Shah.
The other artists exhibiting at the Art Fair include J Selva, Bhavna Seth, Goonjan Jain, Namita Panchal, Sanjeevani Bhoir, Shweta Agarwal, Amita Dand, Leena Mathur, Pradnya More and Roshni Kavina have tried their own ways of expressing that which is innate and experienced mingled with a touch of memories from their own lives.
Dr. Jaspinder Narula said, “It is heartening to see young artists from the heart of India coming from forthwith such amazing creations. They need not just our support, but also the encouragement from the government. It has not been easy post the pandemic and I appeal to the government to come forth and extend their help.”
Added Leslee Lewis, “Along with music and dance, visual art should be given an impetus. Each time I come to this exhibition it amazes me more and more.”
Felt Padma Shree Dr. Soma Ghosh, “Each painting has a story to tell. And each artist is a treasure trove of ideas. I am humbled looking at these works of art.”
Averred Anuradha Paudwal, “I love the fact the youth are keeping traditional art forms alive. I especially loved the Pichwai paintings. Some are combined with other kinds of folk art, making the compositions traditional yet contemporary. I love the dedication and energy that has gone into making this exhibition so creative and unique.”
Elaborates Pandit Jeetu Shankar, “There is a rhythm to every painting. There is a song to every artist. Being in this exhibition is like being part of a harmonious concert.”
Feels Kavya Jones, “Colours have always fascinated me. The walkthrough brings forth a rainbow of emotions within me.”
Echoes Dr. Anusha Srinivasan Iyer, “It is not easy to bring together an eclectic mix of the traditional and the modern of the new and the old of artists from all across India and the world and help them not just showcase, but also sell their art. Only Rajendra can pull off 13 editions of India Art Festival and four editions of Mumbai Art Fair across India with consistency and aplomb. More like-minded people should come forward to encourage young talent.”
Rajendra is ecstatic that stalwarts have come to encourage the artists. “It is our honour that veteran singers and musicians of the likes of Dr Jaswinder Narula, Anuradha Paudwal, Leslee Lewis, Pt Jeetu Shankar have graced the event. We are trying to grow each year. When such youngsters get encouraged by the words of veterans it goads to work harder. It’s with such encouragement that an artist is truly born.”