In an artist’s work span, the most difficult part of the journey is holding a solo exhibition. It takes anywhere from two to three years or in some cases longer to put together enough work to choose from and create a coherent show. What is dear to an artist may not necessarily work as an exhibition and by that time, one is so hopelessly involved the creation that it is difficult to distance oneself to make a judicious selection. I speak from personal experience! But it helps if one can be one’s worst (or is it best) critic!
With these thoughts echoing in my mind, I went for three solos of artists, who are not only superbly creative, but for me their most important attribute is their humaneness and gentleness.
I am talking about the abstract artist Shobha Broota’s retrospective “Vesture of Being,” the stunning calligraphic works of Poosapati Parameshwar Raju, whose first-ever retrospective “Sacred” is the passion of sacred integrity and sculptor G. Reghu’s bronze and ceramic show “Shaping Clay”.
All three are almost self-effacing, which is such a change from today’s in-your-face kind of projections by artists. It is this quality that allows their art to be seen in its entirety and subtle nuances are highlighted without getting entangled in their personas.
Broota’s show is a work that lingers in one’s mind-view like a wistfully poignant song. She has explored dimensions of a woman’s life and bits and bobs that constitute it like knitting and twisted yarn and even thermacol laddus! But these only add to the serious paintings for they hold the light up for the other works to be seen and understood better for its process. Her work has deep undertones of the spiritual running through all the way. The meditative quality of her persona is reflected in her canvas’, which are tranquil and serene.
I will never forget how, when I was interviewing Broota many years ago, I asked her how artists arrive at the over the top pricing of their works. Bemused, she replied, “Because they dare!”
Shobha’s more than passing interest in music has led her to the sitar and she says, “Music is a shortcut to god. Ek sur lagao and you are transported. It motivates, it inspires. All my work is made while music is on. Whether it is the aesthetics of sound or of colours and lines, the aspiration is to motivate to reach a higher plane. If there is reincarnation, I want to be born again as a musician!”
Raju’s calligraphic explorations, on the other hand, reflect the notion of sacred integrity and resonate the concept of Ekameva-dwityam — that all manifestations of matter and spirit are ultimately one in the Supreme.
He has been reinforcing the tradition of writing with the nib to explore the beauty of calligraphy. From an intention to write well, his objective gradually shifted to nurturing the pictorial possibilities of interpreting scripts — of describing them with meaning and imparting information.
Hailing from Vizianagaram, Raju is conversant with traditional customs, rituals and folklore and has amassed an amazing array of imagery of signs and symbols related to iconography. In his unique technique the basic drawing develops from a thin line, continuing as a thick line and concluding as a thin line, thereby attributing a rhythmic quality to the image — all in virtually a single stroke! Painted on archival paper, the works on show are Shiva inspired — the fragrant one that makes us grow — with a perfection that is unique and rare.
Use of skill as a language by itself is overlooked in contemporary art and is associated with craft. This is largely due to the perceptions of the Occident towards indigenous art practices. Raju’s works are a visualisation of an intimate relation and portray a necessary cooperation between seeing and thinking, image and idea. The eventual image is stylised, minimalistic with a balance of both the constructs — formal and conceptual.
The vast reference from celebrations, mythology and folklore not only sustains the content of his work, but also the manner of perceiving an image and giving shape to things we cannot readily see in a set of ideas and beliefs.
The form finally emerges as an essence, free in its manifestation and yet not different from the reality of the narrative — the form that allows the mind to grasp all aspects of its constituent elements.
I have known Raju for several years now and he is one of the gentlest people I have met. He is himself very multi-faceted and has a multi-disciplinary approach to the arts. He has done some pioneering work in the collection and preserving of traditional and folk arts and textiles. He has been instrumental in helping identifying spaces for young and emerging artists to show their works and had even launched what is till date perhaps the best private art gallery in India in terms of space and lighting in Hyderabad.
It is a pity the gallery
closed down for internal reasons.
The other gentle artist who brought his ceramic and bronze works from Bhopal to show in Delhi is G. Raghu. I am fresh from participating in a workshop on terracotta and consequently more appreciative of the skill it entails. The works are minimalistic in imagery and narrative and there is a sense of almost obsessive cleanliness in the manifestation that comes across. The display was a delight for without crowding he managed to create spaces where the figures converse amongst themselves and with the onlooker.

Dr Alka Raghuvanshi is an art writer, curator and artist and can be contacted on alkaraghuvanshi@ yahoo.com