Artists capture a unique tradition on canvas

Traditions and rituals make a culture, and this is a fact of life in a place like Nathdvara which lives in such tradition that draws on amazing varieties of decorations to worship and praise 'Shrinathji'.

Nathdvara is an amalgamation of both old and new cultures, and this is depicted through the paintings on display. Archer Gallery had organised and artists' meet at Nathdvara in mid November '99. Reacting to this unique tradition, artists expressed their impressions on canvas which, at present, are on display at Herwitz Gallery, Amdavad ni Gufa.

The participating artists are Amit Ambalal, Bhupen Khakkar, Jogen Chowdhary, Manjit Bawa, Jyoti Bhatt, Ghulam Shaikh, Atul and Anju Dodiya, Jayshree Chakraborty, Jagdeep Smart, Nabibaksh Mansoori, famous art critic and poet Ranjit Hoskote and Nancy Adajaria.

Director Anil Relia says Ahmedabad is hardly considered a cultural city, though it has an active art world and leading dance institutions. "Inviting artists from outside narrows down the gap. With this workshop, interactive sessions also proved to be fruitful where many traditions and attitude were rediscovered," he says.

Nathdvara is particularly famous for Pichwais - painted clothes which form the back drop of deity Shrinathji. Here, according to the festival the subject varies while praising the God. The whole activity of Nathdvara revolves around the worshipping of Shrinathji which was a major surprise to all the participating artists and is reflected in their works.

Many artists infuse the central activity of worship. Jyoti Bhatt, who has painted Shrinathji with minute decorations, expresses the power and elegance of the entire process. Jyoti uses vernacular poems, songs and other embellishing elements to create an atmosphere similar to the temple. Amit Ambalal's painting captures the humour present in life around the temple. A crow sitting in the open mouth of an elephant is titled 'Gossiping at Nathdvara'. Atul Dodiya too shows a human sketch where there is a stone flour mill in the place of a turban.

Anju Dodiya shows a girl scratching her teeth which, she says, is a reaction to the over crowded place inside the temple. Bhupen Khakkar talks of the power that is gained in the form of worship, again transformed in other acts of life. Bhupen presents the self-experience through suggestive electricity wires and switches passing from unidentified figures. Ghulam Shaikh paints the famous form of 'Burkha' in his own way on the canvas. The black and white form combines various aspects of different animals.

Jagdeep Smart paints streets and life that surrounds the main deity. The symbolic characters engaged in various activities that surrounds the life has its own peculiarities in this work.

While Jayashree Chakraborty simply projects the landscape of Mewar - rich and hilly over a textured surface. Jogen Chowdhary paints the presence feet in the atmosphere which is full of praises of God.

The complexities of architecture and a flying figure is a reaction to the life beneath the show. Madhavi Parekh chooses to decorate the street animal with other chaaracteristics of Nathdvara whereas Manu Parekh shows Shrinathji as a child who vanquished the snake demon 'Kaliya'.

Compiled from local news media