United in stroke

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Need and greed, by artist Sumana Chowdhury

This August, the first edition of United Art Fair 2012 that will be held in New Delhi this September, is the hottest topic of discussion in art circles. Showcasing over 2,000 plus works from artists across the country, UAF promises to provide a platform to veterans as well as younger contemporary artists.

“Five hundred plus artists across all major cities will be showcasing their work,” says Johny ML, director and chief curator, United Art Fair 2012. “To continue supporting younger artists even after the fair, we are focusing on three most important features. Firstly, one artist will be awarded with `1.5 lakhs to continue with his/her work. Secondly, 100 best works will be selected and the group show will travel to four major cities. Last but most important plan is to launch C-ARTWHEEL magazine, that will feature young artists and will provide information to them about all international events and art fairs,” adds Johny.
The only winner for the cash prize will be selected by a jury set up by the UAF. Franck Barthelemy, an art consultant from Bengaluru, Nanak Ganguly, art historian from Kolkata, senior sculptor KS Radhakrishnan are among the jury members. Keeping in sync with the idea to provide a platform to contemporary artists, the profile of participants is an interesting mix. Senior artsit Sumana Chowdhury from Bengaluru says her work talks about our social surroundings, about how we as humans have more greed than need. “The work titled Need and greed talks about the underlying relationships between greed and need. It wouldn’t be possible for me to show this work at any gallery because somewhere the work speaks against them,” she says.
For another artist, Garima Jayadevan from Mumbai, her work is her own image, juxtaposed with different episodes from a woman’s life. Though based on themes from their lives, most are creating works that focus on social issues. “For the fair I have worked on the bleeding fish series that is a metaphor about various social issues. My work has been selected as is for the fair, unlike the galleries who choose work based on certian criteria,” says Sajeev Visveswaran, an artist from Baroda.