SHYAMAL DUTTA ROY: KINGS OF WATERCOLOUR / By Anindya Roy

During my graduation I was excited to search for a perfect professional from whom I can mature my aesthetic sense and get proper guidance to fulfil my goal. One fine morning I went to his rented house in Kolkata; afterwards I spent long years under his mentorship. I like to share as I saw those days. I have an appetite then to learn more and more from a multi-talented visual artist like he is. A very much gentlemanly, benevolent, genuine teacher.

In his youth he was simply influenced by European modernism and the abstraction of objects; figures are his oil colour subject. They did not have much freedom in art college. Like other friends, he also struggles to establish himself. Once, at an evening adda, some friends together formed an artists' group, keeping in mind to work and exhibit throughout India regularly. All of them exchanged ideas and shared experiences of social conditions with strong Indianans in their work. Named 'Society of Contemporary Artists, Kolkata'.

Later, he emphasises watercolour, and within a short time, he creates an out-of-traditional look for his paintings. He used to do layer after layer of soft transparent colour, which never disturbed the character of the medium. He said, ‘All are crazy to do it for oil colour, but I thought, why not watercolour?'. He took the challenge to bring a fresh style and cross texture – which is his salient feature of paintings – and his great contribution to the fine art field.

In the 60s and 70s Bengal went through a severe crisis with famine, then the Bangladesh war, then the Naxal Andolan and lastly the emergency. During that tense situation, artists were smashed by grief and sorrows but did not lose their passion. The rickety skeleton figures of the dark side of society evoke the subjects of Shyamal Dutta Roy's objects of creation.

In the meantime Shyamal DuttaRoy creates a history of his life; his figures have large heads and thin human bodies, and the broken bowl excerpts are from famine-affected people. That scene had a strong impact on him, as Jainule Abedin felt. These broken bowls in watercolour and in graphics are recognised internationally and nationally. Ruined heritage buildings and the plight of schools and teachers are the source of his idea. We were surprised how the ruined social condition could be an aesthetical presentation and simultaneously a message to the world. The talk of time – document.

I repeat, the brilliant graphic ‘Broken Bowl', the symbolic one, had brought fame for him, and the figure style influenced artists of his time. I even heard from him about a few famous artists who also surely enlightened the next generation. Some critics said he was studying the method of British legend Turner’s watercolour. But Nandalal, Ramkinkar’s line and Abanendranath's wash technique are also in his observation.

In his peak time of career, he had  got lots of awards, including Lalit kala, prestigious Aban award, Shiromony Purosker,  All India Annual’s, Dhaka Shilpokala etc., and works are in the collections of so many museums and institutes, such as the Victoria Albert Museum, NGMA, Pratt  Graphic Center etc.

He has so much rare talent that he uses to compose his signature style with the same kind of textures and dimensions and the broken structures as background design in oil, acrylic, graphics and obviously watercolour. A modern presentation where concepts originate from real-life experience in abstract composition by softened treatments of mediums with rhythmic criss-cross lines is his unmatchable achievement, especially as a sensitive medium, watercolour. Once his hand broke from falling down, afterwards he started to paint with his left hand, and nobody can find any distortion in his work. He has such a pretty character towards students that he never forces technique or methodology from his end. He got the best respect from his contemporary artists throughout India for his fresh contribution to Indian culture.

- Images from Google

ALKA BHRUSHUNDI: TOUCH THE INFINITY

ANALYSIS/ DR VED PRAKASH BHARDWAJ

Alka Bhrushundi

The universe we live in is vast, infinite, and always unfolding. Within this vast and unknowable expanse, human life itself becomes a puzzle—deep, layered, and never fully comprehended. Across civilisations and eras, artists have sought to understand this mystery through intuitive means, experiencing it through figurative representations rather than through a concrete image. Art becomes a bridge between the visible and the invisible, the finite and the infinite. Alka Bhrushundi's art emerges from this very thought: a persistent and meditative effort to understand the infinite.

Her journey began in Pune and has continued for nearly three decades in New Delhi, where her artistic language has continuously evolved. Initially trained in traditional imagery, Bhrushundi's early works displayed a structured engagement with recognisable forms. Then, over time, her exploration deepened. What was concrete became abstract; fixed shapes became suggestions. What began as a search for form gradually transformed into a plunge into the formless abyss. Today, her work is at a place where no form seems complete or stable. Everything seems to be in flux—vibrating, dissolving, re-emerging. This shift toward abstraction is not merely aesthetic but also philosophical, reflecting the understanding that the infinite cannot be confined within fixed boundaries.

For more than two decades, Bhrushundi has been engaged with what can be called the structure of the infinite—its energy, its rhythm, and its hidden logic. Her canvases attempt to reveal what cannot be directly seen: the dynamic relationship between cosmic energy and human consciousness. This relationship is so profound that it cannot be described, yet it can be deeply felt. It is felt not as a story but as a feeling, not as a display but as an echo.

The search for cosmic energy has long preoccupied artists from diverse cultures. In Indian visual traditions, Tantric art provides a powerful example of how geometry, colour, and symbolic abstraction can become vehicles for spiritual understanding. These works don't simply depict the cosmos; they serve as meditative diagrams, revealing the interplay between inner and outer energies. Similarly, Western Modernism embraced abstraction as a way to transcend reality. From Hilma af Klimt's spiritualised abstractions to Mark Rothko's luminous colour fields, artists have repeatedly resorted to non-representational forms to access the sublime and the cosmic. In each case, abstraction becomes a language for the unseen.

Cosmic energy presents a unique challenge for the visual artist. It has no stable form, no fixed appearance. It is fluid, shifting, and constantly changing. Yet, it is this instability that allows infinity to exist. Alka Bhrushundi accepts this challenge and abandons solid forms. Her move toward formlessness represents a conscious decision to prioritise sensation over structure and energy over outline. For her, formlessness is not absence but possibility—a field of potential where the meaning of life and the universe as a whole emerges not from definition but from experiencing it.

Her works reveal a dynamic interplay between cosmic energy and the inner power of the soul. They suggest that life is not controlled solely by visible, physical forces. Beneath the surface, an invisible energy constantly flows—in the form of mental, emotional, and spiritual forces—that shapes human existence. Every human being possesses duality: the physical body and the inner, invisible energy that keeps life moving. Alka Bhrushundi attempts to transform the life-giving power of this unseen energy into visible form through art.

On canvas and paper, colour, texture, and the gestures of colour become tools for exploring the immeasurable. Light brushstrokes often evoke feelings of sensitivity, rhythm, and the tenderness of coexistence. In contrast, bold strokes and dense patches of colour convey strength, determination, and intensity. These different gestures coexist within the same visual field, revealing the simultaneous existence of both tension and harmony in creation. The viewer senses a rhythm within the surfaces of colour—like the beat of music.

Just as we live a new life every moment, and nature constantly changes its colours, Alka's works convey a sense of constant change and dynamism at the compositional level. Layers of paint are deposited upon layers of paint, suggesting depth, but without revealing it. The rhythmic brushstrokes create movement on the surface, allowing the viewer to effortlessly move from one end of the painting to the other. For the viewer, this experience becomes a journey in which they feel constantly energised. The energy constantly flows, pulsates, and transforms across the surface of the painting, creating a magical effect on the viewer. Therefore, Alka's works demand deep and patient observation. When a viewer gazes at her creations for a long time, they feel as if something is constantly unfolding before them. The canvas transforms into a living space, where a vibrant connection between human consciousness and cosmic energy is felt.

The abundance of blue in her work holds special significance. According to the artist, blue is a means of exploring infinity, peace, and the unseen. For her, blue is not just a colour but an infinite experience—a psychological and spiritual state. From the depths of the ocean to the vastness of the sky, from the stillness of water to snow-capped mountains, blue permeates everywhere. It represents peace, belonging, and a constant flow of thoughts that propel the mind toward the infinite.

Alongside blue, shades of orange and red often appear in her works, symbolising energy, vitality, and possibility. Some works depict the vast depths of the ocean, while others suggest the infinite expanse of space. Networks of dynamic lines reflect the emotional complexity of human relationships. Feather-like textures often emerge, symbolising humanity's boundless desires and upward-spirited consciousness.

Ultimately, Alka Bhrushundi's art creates a realm that extends beyond the visible to the experienced. It reminds us that, like the universe, human beings are filled with infinite possibilities—and art is a way to touch that infinity.

Ganesh Haloi : Silence, Space, and Emotion By Dr. Ved Prakash Bhardwaj

Ganesh Haloi expresses the beauty of nature and its mysterious structures through a distinct and newly nuanced artistic language. His solo exhibition at Akar Prakar Gallery, New Delhi, brings to light various dimensions of his art, in which the imaginative quality of his image-making and the autonomy of his design emerge as prominent elements. The paintings, mostly executed on paper, present a remarkable synthesis of the concrete and the abstract in their structural composition. At times, he employs familiar geometric shapes, while at other moments he introduces forms that evoke both geometric and architectural sensibilities. Yet, as cohesive structural entities, the paintings remain fundamentally abstract. 

It is significant that Ganesh Haloi is widely credited with establishing abstract art within the Bengal School. While many of his contemporaries were preoccupied with exploring expression through the physical form of human life and bodily shapes, Haloi chose instead to distil the essence of life through his own unique artistic vocabulary. The current trajectory of abstract art within the Bengal School bears the clear imprint of his influence. In engaging with his works, one encounters expansive colour fields, calligraphic lines, delicate dots, architectural contours, and geometric shapes that collectively invite viewers to perceive and contemplate both the physical and metaphysical dimensions of existence. 

His art appears less concerned with conveying a singular, definitive message and more invested in expanding the viewer’s capacity for observation, reflection, and introspection. Through this process, the viewer is drawn into a realm of experience that, though intimately connected to life, often remains unseen or unarticulated. Ganesh Haloi’s creations are marked by a profound sense of serenity in their elegance and communication, particularly in works dominated by expansive and subtly modulated colour fields. These chromatic compositions often evoke abstracted landscapes. 

However, these landscape-like formations function less as representations of the physical world and more as expressions of inner emotional states. They demand engagement beyond surface perception, resonating instead with the emotional and psychological terrain of human experience. The concrete, when fully resolved, leaves little room for mystery or curiosity; it becomes complete and, in a sense, empty. Haloi’s works gesture toward this emptiness, yet they embody incompleteness rather than finality. Through the introduction of geometric shapes, lines, and points, he disrupts this emptiness, anchoring his compositions within worldly contexts where emotion and feeling take precedence. To evoke these emotions, Haloi incorporates both recognisable and enigmatic motifs. 

It is crucial to note that emotions are inherently fluid and never static or complete; their shifting nature is what aligns them with abstraction. For this reason, human emotions themselves can be described as abstract. Haloi seeks to perceive and represent this emotional realm in an alternative manner, and thus, even as abstraction permeates his work, it remains intentionally incomplete—just as no emotion can ever reach absolute closure. The transparent and semi-transparent layers of colour in his paintings deepen this abstraction, adding complexity and depth to the emotional landscape he constructs. 

A prevailing sense of peace and silence characterises much of Ganesh Haloi’s imagery. Yet within this stillness, he creates possibilities for dialogue on multiple levels: among the juxtaposed formal elements within the paintings, between the artwork and the viewer, and between nature and human consciousness. His work is fundamentally non-narrative; nonetheless, in engaging with his compositions, one senses the presence of fragmented memories and dispersed imaginations. The melancholic resonance of a lost or vanishing landscape, conveyed through translucent layers of colour, often feels poetic—like a soft, distant voice echoing through a deserted valley. At times, it is as though the rustling wind brushing against standing crops permeates the atmosphere with an almost musical cadence. 

Moments of melancholy surface in his landscapes, yet they are neither fixed nor overwhelming; the artist does not allow them to settle permanently. While Wassily Kandinsky consciously propelled his artistic language toward abstraction and sought to translate music into visual form, Ganesh Haloi situates abstraction primarily within the realm of emotion. At the same time, on a formal level, he continuously fragments and challenges this abstraction. Ambiguity—and even more so, incomprehensibility—represents the ultimate stage of abstraction, a stage rarely reached in Haloi’s work. Instead, clarity and ambiguity coexist as two compelling dimensions of his art, captivating viewers through their subtle interplay. 

The transcendental quality often attributed to Ganesh Haloi’s works arises from the conceptual logic and pictorial structure underpinning his compositions. This structure is also deeply aligned with principles of minimalism: his paintings favour minimal forms, openness over density, and an expansion of the invisible. Within this openness, certain visual elements symbolically allude to human existence and consciousness. At the core of abstract art lies the pursuit of the true self—an inherently human essence shaped by the dynamics of nature. Clement Greenberg’s critical perspective is relevant here, as he emphasised the exploration and interrelation of form, space, and surface in abstract art. The presence and interaction of these elements in Haloi’s work can be understood as a reflection of human life itself, since all forms, even those derived from nature, ultimately convey facets of the broader human experience.

All photographs of paintings from Akar Prakar Gallery. portrait of Ganesh Haloi created by artist Uday Shankar

Beauty of Nature: Solo Exhibition of Praveen Saini

Praveen Saini

When the tenderness of nature and the fluid grace of watercolour descend together onto paper or canvas through an artist’s brush, the viewer is inevitably spellbound. The art of senior artist Praveen Saini is infused with this same sensitivity. Nature and spirituality have been his cherished and central themes. His solo exhibition titled ‘Beauty of Nature’ was held from 4 to 10 January 2026 at Gallery No. 1 of the Lalit Kala Akademi in Delhi. In this exhibition, he primarily presented watercolour works created on paper.

During his travels to various places, Praveen Saini often creates small-sized watercolour paintings. In this process, he engages in a direct dialogue with nature, shaping visual images that also carry a poetic sensibility. The remarkable play of light and shadow can be clearly seen in his works. The grandeur of distant mountains, along with the vastness of the landscape, becomes encompassed within a small picture. Within that expansive terrain, one can also sense organic movement and the mysterious play of nature—phenomena that may not be fully comprehensible, yet so deeply captivate the human mind that the viewer feels compelled to keep looking.

Although many artists are active in the field of landscape painting, the depth of feeling, dedication, and commitment with which Praveen Saini works distinguish him from his contemporaries. The presence of imagination in landscape creation is natural, but in Praveen Saini’s paintings, even this imagination appears closely aligned with reality—as if it were a sensitive extension of what has been directly observed.

 

Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj and Praveen Saini

The beauty and sensibility of landscape in watercolour have a long and rich history in human artistic tradition. Across cultures and centuries, artists have turned to nature as a source of inspiration, emotion, and contemplation. However, it is neither fair nor meaningful to compare artists who create watercolour landscapes, as each artist’s vision is deeply shaped by their cultural background, personal philosophy, and relationship with nature.

An Indian landscape and a European landscape are naturally different, not merely in visual appearance but in the very approach and mindset of the artist. In the European tradition, landscape painting has often been rooted in observation, realism, or aesthetic appreciation of nature as an external subject. In contrast, in India, landscape painting emerges from a more intimate and inward engagement with the natural world.

In the Indian artistic tradition, art is not just an act of representation but a holistic and spiritual experience. It is seen as a way of connecting with the larger cosmos, with life, and with the divine presence within nature. Indian landscape artists do not simply depict mountains, rivers, trees, or skies; they experience and internalise them as living, breathing entities. Their paintings often carry a sense of kindness, reverence, and gratitude toward nature for offering a beautiful, nurturing, and harmonious environment.

Thus, Indian watercolour landscapes are not merely visual depictions of scenery but expressions of a spiritual sensibility—where nature is not a separate object to be painted but a sacred presence to be felt, honoured, and celebrated through art.

-Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj

Collage International Art Carnival Sets a New Benchmark in the Indian Art Scene

Ashwani Kumar Prithvasi, Sanjeev Kumar Gautam, and other guests honouring Bose Krishnamachari.

The Collage International Art Carnival, held at the Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi, from January 13 to 18, 2026, has firmly established itself as a landmark event in the Indian art world. Emerging as a vibrant confluence of creativity, the carnival demonstrated how the vision of a single artist and his institution can bring together diverse artistic practices, generations, and geographies on one expansive platform.

Shri Dalip Singh Hitkari and Naven Kumar Jaggi with Art News India magazine, and editor and artist Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj

Shri Shuhas Bahulkar at both of the Garhi Artist Studios. 

The journey that artist Ashwani Kumar Prithviwasi, founding director of the Delhi Collage of Art, began two decades ago has now taken on an international dimension. What started as a focused artistic initiative has grown into a large-scale cultural movement, reflecting both perseverance and an unwavering commitment to nurturing art and artists.

Anoop Ratn presenting his thoughts. 

This year, the carnival went far beyond the conventional format of an art exhibition. Alongside an extensive display of artworks, the event also honoured many of the most respected artists, art writers, filmmakers, playwrights, poets, and curators of our time. Eminent personalities such as Jatin Das, Krishnamachari Bose, Aparna Caur, Dr Sachchidanand Joshi, Prayog Shukla, Sandeep Marwah, Alka Pande, Georgina, Vinod Bhardwaj, Kavita Nair, Inder Salim, Harshvardhan Sharma, Anoop Ratn, Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj, Akshat Sinha, Ajay Sameer, Amit Dutt, and Prafulla Sawant, among many others, were recognised for their significant contributions to the cultural landscape. While a major exhibition was showcased in the main gallery of the Lalit Kala Akademi, the Akademi’s grounds were transformed into a dynamic cultural hub with multiple booths. These booths hosted exhibitions by art institutions and galleries from across the country, creating an open, accessible environment where visitors could engage directly with artists and their work.

Honouring Kavit Nayer

Honouring Aprna Caur

view of carnival. 

A large central stage became the heartbeat of the carnival, hosting a continuous lineup of programmes that included music, dance performances, poetry readings, theatre, film screenings, and panel discussions. Prominent institutions participating in this segment included Delhi College of Art, Jamia Millia Islamia, Triveni Kala Sangam, the artists’ group from Lalit Kala Akademi’s Regional Centre Garhi, Kaladham, Bal Bhavan, Urban Fingers, Uchaan Art Gallery, Astitva Art Gallery, Dehradun Art College, Blue Dot Art Gallery, Shankar Academy, and many other institutions and galleries.

young artists presenting their thoughts.

Dr. Ved Prakash Bhardwaj with Aswani kumar Prithviwasi 

Harshvardhan Sharma sharing his knowledge. 

Dr. Sachchinand Joshi addressing artists and art lovers. 

Artists from more than 20 countries took part in the carnival, reinforcing its truly international character. One of the special attractions, particularly for younger audiences, was the display of AI-generated art, which sparked lively discussions about technology, creativity, and the future of artistic expression. Live demonstrations, performance art, and interactive sessions further enriched the experience for visitors. The carnival also emphasised participation and learning. Workshops were organised for both children and adults, offering hands-on experiences in pottery, drawing, and printmaking. 

Live demo. 

These activities attracted enthusiastic participation and allowed visitors to explore their own creative potential. Thousands of art lovers found opportunities to present their creativity across various art forms, making the event inclusive and community-orientated. Several art talks and discussions were organised throughout the week, featuring both Indian and international artists. The sessions conducted by Chawky Frenn, Associate Professor at George Mason University, USA, were particularly impactful, offering valuable insights that resonated deeply with participating artists and students. The many dimensions of artistic creation showcased during the carnival clearly demonstrated that there is a strong and growing interest in art within society—an interest that needs sustained nurturing and meaningful platforms. Speaking about his vision, Ashwini Kumar Prithviwasi remarked that the carnival itself is his art. He noted that contemporary artists often function within isolated groups, disconnected from one another, and that this initiative was an attempt to bridge those gaps. “The enthusiastic participation of people and the wholehearted involvement of ordinary visitors in various workshops prove that when given the opportunity, people do not hesitate to engage with art,” he said. In every sense, the Collage International Art Carnival stood as a celebration of collaboration, inclusivity, and creative exchange—offering a powerful reminder that art flourishes most vibrantly when artists and audiences come together on a shared platform.

GLORIOUS 61 YEARS OF CALCUTTA PAINTERS By Anindya Roy

There was an interesting exhibition recently held by Calcutta Painters, one of the oldest artist groups in Bengal, celebrating their 61st Annual Exhibition titled “Climacteric” at the Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata. This group has gifted Bengal with many eminent artists, including Jogen Chowdhury, Bijon Chowdhury, Prokash Karmaker, and Nikhil Biswas, who were also among the founding members. Their collective artistic journey has always expressed deep concern for nature, society, and the evolving human condition. The impact of climate change and emotional shifts in contemporary life are captured through the artists’ creative processes. Alongside senior masters, new participants presented experimental works beside traditional and academic styles, enriching the exhibition with diverse expressions.

An eye-catching oil painting by Bijon Chowdhury reminded viewers of the history of humankind. This year, the group paid homage to Bijon Babu. Another major attraction was a black-and-white drawing by Jogen Chowdhury, whose continued participation inspires younger members. His simple linear treatment beautifully captures the elegance of the female face. Viewers were drawn to the modern presentation of Subrata Ghosh, whose allegorical works reflect today’s environmental crisis. His aesthetic approach, though uncommon for average viewers, strongly evokes concern for nature lost to inhumane activities.

Senior artist Sima Barua continued her traditional institutional style through sepia etchings depicting tender family narratives with graceful linear forms. The only tempera painting in the exhibition, by Swapnendu Bhumik, portrayed the darker realities of our time with soft, systematic composition. Susanta Chakraborty, long known for his oil paintings depicting masked and caustic faces, explored the pastel medium here, balancing blue and yellow tones to create atmospheric depth.

Sibaprasad Kar Chowdhuri’s non-figurative landscapes carried his signature layered color fields, creating space and dimension. Goutam Bhumik’s dramatic still lifes featured rich textures and bright hues. Abhijit Das, inspired by slums and garbage landscapes, presented mixed-media works reflecting the concern for nature. Bibek Kalyan Roy’s pencil-based landscapes offered a soothing visual experience through smoky spatial divisions. Among the sculptors, Anup Mondal presented a half-burst aluminium sculpture with a deliberately rough surface, while Raksh Sadhak experimented with mixed materials to interpret human and civil structural forms. Overall, artists of Calcutta Painters—from their foundation to the present—remain deeply connected to nature and environmental consciousness. From this perspective, the title “Climacteric” aptly reflects the theme of transition and critical change in both nature and human society.

Pratima Abhange: Threads of Memory and the Sacred by Dr. Ved Prakash Bhardwaj

Pratima Abhange

Pratima Abhange's artistic practice unfolds as a deeply meaningful dialogue between India's spiritual inheritance and the complexities of contemporary life. Her works do not merely revisit mythological narratives or sacred imagery; instead, they reawaken the timeless presence of these traditions within the modern mind. Indian Puranas, epics, myths, and socio-cultural structures have never truly belonged only to the past. They continue to shape everyday values, human behaviour, ethical thought, and collective emotional life. In this sense, tradition is not a closed chapter—it is a living continuum.

Title: Manthan, Acrylic on canvas, 6X21 feet. 

            Human beings, regardless of time and place, remain psychologically and materially connected to their histories. These connections are preserved through collective memory, which functions as a cultural thread linking generations. It is through these shared memories—embedded in rituals, stories, festivals, visual symbols, songs, and family practices—that the sacred retains its presence in daily life. Drawing nourishment from this vast civilizational reservoir, Pratima Abhange constructs her own distinct artistic language. Her work becomes a space where memory and myth converge, and where the sacred becomes visible through the vocabulary of contemporary art.

            What makes Pratima Abhange's art especially striking is her confident engagement with materiality and surface. Her paintings are not simply images—they are tactile experiences. She skilfully combines acrylic colours with dense textures, layered pigments, and shimmering gold foil highlights, creating compositions that appear radiant and monumental. The presence of gold is especially significant: it does not merely function as ornamentation, but evokes associations of ritual sanctity, temple aesthetics, divine aura, and spiritual illumination. Through this combination of rich textures and luminous surfaces, her works gain depth, dramatic intensity, and a distinctive visual authority. In several compositions she also applies mural techniques in parts of the painting, reinforcing the sense of sacred wall imagery and echoing India's long tradition of temple murals and devotional pictorial storytelling.

            The narratives of her artworks are rooted in Indian spiritual and mythological traditions, yet her mode of representation aligns strongly with modern and contemporary artistic sensibilities. This duality—anchored in tradition yet energized by modernity—becomes central to her visual identity. At places, she also incorporates references to folk idioms and regional aesthetics, thereby widening the cultural horizon of her works. These inclusions are not superficial; rather, they signify her understanding that the sacred in India has always been expressed through multiple artistic registers—from classical sculpture to folk painting, from temple murals to puppetry traditions.

            Religion forms the foundation of Indian civilizational life and cannot be disregarded. The history of Indian art reveals a sustained engagement with the sacred and the mythic. From the celebrated mythological paintings of Raja Ravi Varma to the early phase of the Bengal School, and through the living traditions of South Indian devotional art, mythological figures and religious narratives have held a powerful presence. This continuous engagement has ensured that sacred imagery remains embedded in the collective psyche of Indian society, shaping the way people visualize divinity and understand morality, duty, compassion, and devotion.

            However, modern Indian art in the twentieth century gradually distanced itself from religious imagery in its attempt to align with international modernism and new aesthetic concerns. While this movement created important innovations, it also widened the gap between modern art and the common viewer. Pratima Abhange's artistic journey can be seen as an attempt to bridge this gap. She reclaims the mythic and the sacred not as nostalgia but as relevance. By drawing upon familiar divine figures while using contemporary methods of texture, abstraction, simplification, and spatial design, she reconnects art with people's emotional world and cultural consciousness. In doing so, she re-establishes art as a shared experience rather than an isolated intellectual practice.

            Her careful study of the Puranas and other classical texts lends authenticity and conceptual depth to her work. This is important because her paintings are not simply decorative representations of gods and goddesses; they reflect a thoughtful engagement with philosophical ideas, ethical dilemmas, and timeless narratives. The works featured in this exhibition include multiple depictions of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, Lord Krishna, and Lord Ganesha. These deities are not only central to mythology—they form part of the living spiritual fabric of India. They exist within domestic worship, public festivals, temple spaces, and emotional memory. In Pratima's hands, these divine presences become both symbolic and intimate, monumental and accessible.

            The compositional structure of her works reveals a strong sense of rhythm and visual harmony. Her figures often possess a poised and musical arrangement, guiding the viewer's gaze across the surface with grace. There is a balance between movement and stillness, between narrative suggestion and meditative calm. While depicting divine forms, Pratima Abhange foregrounds not only their mythological significance but also their humanistic and practical meanings. For example, Rama is not only a mythic hero but a moral ideal; Sita becomes a symbol of strength, endurance, and dignity; Krishna represents divine playfulness, love, and cosmic wisdom; and Ganesha embodies auspicious beginnings, intelligence, and removal of obstacles. Thus, the sacred in her works does not remain distant—it becomes ethically and emotionally relatable.

            Her use of colour is equally rich and expressive. Colours in her paintings do not merely fill space—they carry mood, symbolism, and spiritual resonance. Several works feature a flat treatment of the background, which strengthens their connection to contemporary aesthetics. This flatness creates an intentional contrast: the deities and figures emerge with heightened presence, as if they have been cut out and placed against a timeless field. This approach reinforces modern visual sensibilities while preserving the iconic quality of the subject.

            The narratives of the Ramayana and Mahabharata frequently appear in her paintings, but she also explores themes beyond epic storytelling. Ganesha, in particular, emerges as one of her most beloved subjects. Two distinctive stylistic approaches can be observed in her Ganesha works. In one style, she attempts to create a three-dimensional sculptural effect through the build-up of layered colour and thick texture. Here, Ganesha appears almost like a carved or embossed presence, commanding attention through physical depth.

            In the second style, her works draw inspiration from South Indian puppet art and also reflect structural qualities reminiscent of batik. This is a highly significant visual choice, because puppet forms are traditionally connected to storytelling, ritual theatre, and folk narrative performance. Through puppet-like stylization, Pratima transforms the divine figure into a vibrant cultural symbol—one that feels rooted in the community and not confined to temple hierarchy. Texture becomes a major attraction in these works, whether through impasto or layered effects. These layered surfaces create a sense of time, memory, and accumulated experience—almost as if the painting itself carries traces of history.

            In Pratima Abhange's work, subject matter, composition, and creative process are equally important. Her paintings often develop through multiple stages and layers. The main subject is built up through varied textures and layered colour, while the background is frequently kept solid and restrained. This formal strategy allows her to achieve a puppet-like cut-out effect, where figures appear elevated from the ground, commanding visual dominance. This method enhances clarity, strengthens symbolism, and brings an iconic stillness to her compositions.

            An especially notable dimension of her practice is imagination. Mythological and religious subjects carry emotional and devotional sensitivity, leaving limited scope for radical distortion. Yet Pratima carefully negotiates this limitation. Without breaking the sacred bond that viewers hold with divine imagery, she introduces imaginative expansions and interpretative freedom. This is clearly visible in her work Manthan, inspired by the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan). In her composition she portrays eight deities, even though the mythological narrative does not specify the identities of the gods involved. Here, her imagination becomes a creative tool to widen the symbolic meaning of the story. The work transcends a literal retelling and enters the realm of philosophical reflection. It evokes the eternal struggle between forces of good and evil, truth and deception, chaos and order—struggles that remain relevant in every era, including the present.

            Alongside her narrative and mythological works, Pratima Abhange also creates landscape paintings that reflect a different emotional tone. These landscapes are often abstract and impressionistic, rather than realistic depictions. In them, lived experience becomes more central than mythic imagination. The bridges, rivers, boats, vehicles, and urban-rural transitions encountered during travel appear as fragments of memory. Morning light, dusk, fog, and twilight become emotional environments rather than literal scenes. Her landscapes therefore function not only as representations of nature, but also as representations of feeling.

            A spiritual dimension emerges in many of these landscapes as well. For instance, in her depiction of Mount Kailash, she introduces an orange band at the base of the canvas—an artistic gesture that transforms the landscape into a sacred realm. The colour orange evokes renunciation, devotion, fire, ritual energy, and divine presence. Through such elements, she suggests that nature itself is sacred. In her abstract landscapes, the density of colour and the intensity of texture evoke a mystical atmosphere. Even without explicit narrative, these works remain deeply connected to the internal world of human emotion, contemplation, and spiritual longing.

            Ultimately, Pratima Abhange's art reveals how memory can become an aesthetic force and how the sacred can remain visually alive in the modern world. Her paintings act as bridges—between myth and modernity, between faith and aesthetics, between inherited tradition and personal imagination. Through texture, colour, gold luminosity, and layered construction, she gives form to a uniquely contemporary devotion—one that honours the past while speaking directly to the present.