Often complex in composition, abstract art is at times intense, spontaneous, and deeply expressive. At others they are more ruminative, presenting large fields of colour that border on the sublime. In Indian art, abstraction is often achieved through a natural affinity between a traditional Indian artistic aesthetic, whether it be Tantric Art or miniature painting, and Western ideas of Minimalism, Op Art and Geometric Abstraction. All explore essence, sensation, and perception by seeking to combine these perspectives, by focusing on the iterative, pairing it down to the minimal and ultimately striving to reach for an essence while also pursuing the idea of movement. Possessed with an optical quality, the combination of line and colour discombobulates the eye, causing the viewer to see flashes of colour and movement within the canvases.
These radical creations redefine the nature of painting and are intended not simply to be admired from a distance but as two-way encounters between artist and viewer. To demonstrate the breadth of this modernist impulse toward abstraction, we have assembled a wide-ranging exhibition featuring iconic Masters along with contemporary and emerging artists. As this year begins to end we bring together some of the most celebrated abstractionists, offering the chance to experience the powerful collective impact of V.S. Gaitonde, F.N. Souza, and Ram Kumar as their works dominate our collection with their scale and vitality. We also acknowledge the contemporary and emerging figures like Palaniappan RM, Akhilesh, Manish Pushkale, Manish Nai, Prafulla Mohanti, George Oommen, Vinita Karim, Jeong Ja Seo, Ushmita Sahu, Hetal Chudasama, Ishrat Humairah, Amit M. Romani and Ashok Kumar Guda - who are contributing to the development of the movement.
The works exhibited here are a stunning mix of geometric abstraction and biomorphic references and reads like a rediscovered ancient treasure of totems and other sacred objects being among the most contemplative and entrancing. It is hard not to note the general composition of which all these artworks are connected, so different and at the same time so great in harmony with each other.
