এক্ষণ / Ekkhan : Situating the Present
A Group Exhibition of Artists from Bengal
Aditya Basak, Chandra Bhattacharjee, Chhatrapati Dutta, Goutam Chowdhury, Jayashree Chakravarty, Partha Dasgupta, Subrata Biswas, Srikanta Paul, Tapas Biswas, Veena Bhargava
Preview on September 6, 4 pm
Exhibition Dates: September 7 – October 26, 2024
Venue: Emami Art: Gallery 1
Overview
This exhibition will bring together the recent works by ten artists from Bengal - Aditya Basak, Chandra Bhattacharjee, Chhatrapati Dutta, Goutam Chowdhury, Jayashree Chakravarty, Partha Dasgupta, Subrata Biswas, Srikanta Paul, Tapas Biswas, Veena Bhargava – aiming to chart the diverse directions of their practices. Instead of basing the show on any specific theme, it focuses on how the artists from Bengal today, while responding to their place and history, engage themselves in the broader, rapidly changing global discourse of contemporary art.
The show will showcase the artists, who, though different from each other in their approaches, styles and medium use, have long been persistently working towards developing a highly distinct visual language relevant to today's social, cultural and political atmosphere and experiences.
Ekkhan is about the relationship between place, culture and imagination, but, at the same time, it is also about continuity and disjunction, dialogue and connection, articulation and exploration, giving contemporary Bengal art its plural, malleable and multi-dimensional identity.
Statement from CEO, Emami Art
In the last few decades, the art practices of Bengal have entered a new phase. This exhibition, which showcases the recent works of ten well-known artists from Bengal, aims to map regional art practices' changing directions and attitudes. What is significant is how the artists, despite their differences in medium use, style, and approaches, create a language that, while establishing continuity with the past, also departs from regional modernism to embrace contemporary global discourses. Emami Art, which, since its inception, has been committed to bringing the best of South Asian art to the city, is always committed to promoting exceptional talents closer to home. Art lovers, critics, and students will find the show exciting and worthy of critical discussion.
(Says, Richa Agarwal, CEO, Emami Art)
About Emami Art
Emami Art is a leading contemporary art gallery and space for cultural production. Established in 2017 with a focus on a future-forward, complex, multi-dimensional approach that echoes South Asia's history, socio-cultural and geo-political narratives, Emami Art has an inclusive, symbiotic framework where profitability supports sustainable resource regeneration and public service. The gallery is a green building and strictly maintains free access to all policies.
Emami Art represents emerging, mid-career and established contemporary artists. The gallery also has a dynamic programme of wide-ranging exhibition registers. Since its inception, Emami Art has curated and hosted large-scale to intimate shows and participated in national and international events and fairs. Our artists' works comprise prominent national and international collections, including public foundations and museums.
Amongst the other regular programming, the gallery's Locus in Focus provides a platform to local and regional communities through short and long-term projects. EA Learning integrates both physical and virtual interfaces. It helps the arts community by providing free access to regular mentorship programs, workshops, residency opportunities, and innovative educational activities that facilitate artistic development, help build collaborative networks and provide a supportive environment for emerging talent. Critical discourses, interactions, documentation and exchange are also essential to our mandate. Under the umbrella of EA Discourse, the gallery publishes artistic, creative and pedagogical materials. As part of our knowledge-making and archiving process, Emami Art regularly holds talks, seminars, panel discussions and conversations with artists, curators and key partners to establish a space for critical engagement.
Deeply committed to promoting a regional, national and international agenda through innovative and alternative programming, emphasis on community and socially relevant engagements, institutional partnerships and more via a multi-year vision for the future, Emami Art is a catalyst of change, research, innovation and inclusivity.
Artists’ Bios
Aditya Basak
Born in 1953 in West Bengal, India, Aditya Basak is a contemporary artist based in Kolkata. He graduated from the Government College of Art & Crafts, Kolkata in 1977. He has held several solo shows at Akar Prakar, Kolkata (2008); Anant Art, New Delhi (2006); Art World, Chennai (2004). In addition, his work has been featured in numerous significant group exhibitions, "Continuity, Disjuncture, Creativity", at Akar Prakar, Kolkata; "Art of Bengal", at CIMA Art Gallery, Kolkata and many more.
He has participated in many art events, festivals, and workshops all over India. Basak was awarded the National Award for Painting (1984) and the Senior Fellowship from the Government of India (2000). Aditya Basak lives and works in Kolkata.
Chandra Bhattacharjee
Born in 1961 in West Bengal, India, Chandra Bhattacharjee is a contemporary Indian artist known for his contemplative figurative style. He studied at the Indian College of Art and Draftsmanship, Kolkata (1986) and Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, graduating in 1989. Bhattacharjee has held many solo exhibitions in various cities across India, including "Santiniketan" and "Veins of the Earth" (2023), "Night Forest" (2020), at Art Alive Gallery, Kolkata, "A Skyful of Chains" (2015), at Galerie 88, Kolkata. He has participated in many national and international workshops and curated group expositions. His latest group participations include "The Politics of Paper" (2022) at Emami Art, Kolkata, "India at 70" (2017) at Bangkok Arts & Culture Center and at Chulalongkorn, Thailand. Chandra was a resident artist at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi (2019).
He was awarded a gold medal from Rabindra Bharati University for his artistic excellence (1986) and the Taj Gaurav Award (2008). Chandra Bhattacharjee's works are part of major private collections in India and abroad. He lives and works in Kolkata.
Chhatrapati Dutta
Born in 1964 in West Bengal, India, Chhatrapati Dutta is a contemporary artist based in Kolkata. Dutta studied painting at the Government College of Arts & Crafts, Kolkata and University of Athens, Greece, and Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, graduating in 1990. He has been the subject of several solo shows, including at Tamarind Art Gallery, New York (2008); in "Objects Images Spaces" (2007) at Akar Prakar, Kolkata; "Bone Mill Tales" (2006) at Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata. In addition, his work has been featured in "Kali: Reverence and Rebellion" (2024) at DAG, Mumbai; "Freedom and Awakening" (2023), Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) in collaboration with West Bengal Government, Kolkata, and many other significant group exhibitions.
He has participated in workshops, residencies, and seminars in India and abroad. Dutta received a Greek government scholarship for postgraduate studies at the University of Athens, Greece (1988). Chhatrapati Dutta lives and works in Kolkata.
Goutam Chowdhury
Born in 1951 in West Bengal, India, Goutam Chowdhury is a well-known painter based in Kolkata. He received a diploma in fine arts from the Indian College of Art and Draftsmanship, Kolkata (1974). He has been the subject of two solo shows in Kolkata at Birla Academy of Art and Culture (1988) and Gallery Charubasona (2020). In addition, his work has been featured in numerous significant group exhibitions, including "Kolkata: Run in the Alley" at Marres: House of Contemporary Culture, Maastricht (2022); "Art Bengal" (2020) at Gandhara Art Centre and Dhoomimal Art Gallery, New Delhi; "Indian Contemporary Artist" (2004), at HART Gallery, Beijing, China; "Calcutta 300" (1990) at Birla Academy, Kolkata, and New Delhi.
He has participated in many art events, festivals, and workshops all over India. He received the Silpi Samman (Lifetime Achievement Award) from the West Bengal Government, India. Goutam Chowdhury lives and works in Kolkata.
Jayashree Chakravarty
Born in 1956 in Tripura, Jayashree Chakravarty studied painting at Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan and M.S. University, Baroda, graduating in 1980 and spent a year in France as an artist-in-residence at École de' Art, Aix-en-Provence, between 1993 and 1995. She has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions, including ‘Unfolding: The Route Map of Experience’ at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) (New Delhi, 2021); ‘Wired Ecology’ at Akar Prakar (New Delhi, 2019); ‘Earth as Haven: Under the Canopy of Love’ at KNMA (New Delhi, 2019); ‘Unfolding Kuchinan’ at Akar Prakar (Kolkata, 2016); ‘If you will Stay Close to Nature’ at Vadehra Art Gallery (New Delhi, 2014); and many others. Her work has also been featured in important group exhibitions like Politics of Paper at Emami Art (Kolkata, 2022), ‘Abstracting Nature at KNMA (New Delhi, 2021); Carrying Roots Around at IIC (New Delhi, 2017); Tapis Moghal, Safar Nama at Indian Museum (Kolkata, 2014); Enduring Legacy: Show of Five Artists from Bengal at Galerie Neumeister (Munich, 2011) and Here and Now: Young Voices from India at Grosvenor Vadehra (London, 2007).
Jayashree Chakravarty won several prestigious awards and scholarships, including the Honourable Mention Award, Asian Art Biennial Bangladesh (Dhaka, 1997) and French Government Scholarship (1991). She lives and works in Kolkata, India.
Partha Dasgupta
Born in 1966 in West Bengal, India, Partha Dasgupta is a well-known ceramic artist based in Kolkata. He studied at the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata and Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan. Dasgupta has been the subject of many solo shows, including "AMRIT" (2015) at Maya art Space, Kolkata and "Immersive Infinities"(2022) at Artalive Gallery, New Delhi. He has participated in "Bhū / भू / ভূ: The Act of Becoming"(2021) at Emami Art, Kolkata; at Indian Ceramics Triennale, Jaipur (2018); the Raku exposition at Goseong, South Korea (2016) and many more group shows.
He has also attended several camps and workshops in India, the USA and South Korea. Dasgupta received the Lalit Kala Research Grant (1995) and the National Scholarship (1998). His three-decade-long artistic career works are in private collections in the USA, South Korea, Bahrain and the UK. Partha Dasgupta lives and works in Kolkata.
Subrata Biswas
Born in 1972 in West Bengal, India, Subrata Biswas is a prominent contemporary sculptor based in Kolkata. He studied at Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, graduating in 1998. He has been the subject of two solo shows, including "Vitrified Terracottas and Bronzes of Subrata Biswas" (2020), at Aakriti Art Gallery, Kolkata, and "Constructing Innocence in Bronze" (2008), at Aakriti Art Gallery, Kolkata. Moreover, numerous significant group exhibitions have featured his work, including "Expression Contemporary Indian Art Show" (2012) at Modi Hall, New Delhi, "A GAPE" (2011) at Hacienda Art Gallery in Mumbai, and "Roots and Shoots" (2007) at Gallery Cork in London, U.K. He has also attended several camps and workshops across India.
Biswas received the Lalit Kala Prize for Drawing (2000) and the West Bengal State Academy Prize (2002). Subrata Biswas's works are part of major private collections in India and abroad. He lives and works in Kolkata.
Srikanta Paul
Born in 1971 in West Bengal, India, Srikanta Paul is a prominent contemporary artist based in Kolkata. He studied Painting at Rabindra Bharati University and Printmaking at MS University, Baroda. Graduating in 2001. He has participated in several group exhibitions in India and abroad, including "Past in Perspective" (2024), Akar Prakar Art Gallery, Kolkata, "Beyond Boundaries" (2023) at Ganges Art Gallery, Kolkata, "Dark Side of the Moon" (2022) at Gallery 1000A, New Delhi, "Sublime Transference" (2021) at Emami Art, Kolkata, "Transform" (2019), at Trondheim International Festival, Norway. He has been a part of many art events, festivals, and workshops in India.
Paul was one of the artists nominated for the prestigious Queen Sonja Print Award (QSPA) in Norway, awarded with a national scholarship by the Government of India (2001-2003). Paul lives and works in Kolkata.
Tapas Biswas
Born in 1972 in West Bengal, India, Tapas Biswas is a noted contemporary sculptor based in Kolkata. He studied Visual Arts at the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata, and Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, graduating in 2000. Biswas has been the subject of several solo shows at Aakriti Art Gallery, Kolkata (2010) and Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad (2012). In addition, his work has been featured in numerous significant group exhibitions in India, France (2011) and Sweden (2010): in "Fluid Boundaries" (2020), Emami Art Gallery, Kolkata; at International Art Summit (2007), Singapore.
Tapas Biswas has taken part in workshops, residencies, and seminars in India and abroad. Biswas was awarded a Junior Research Fellowship by Government of India (1998-2000), AIFACS award in 1998, and many more. Tapas Biswas lives and works in Kolkata.
Veena Bhargava
Veena Bhargava is a well-known artist who studied fine arts at the Government College of Art and Craft Kolkata, the Art Students League of New York, and photography at Chitrabani, Kolkata. She has held several individual exhibitions in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad, including most recently the "Memorializing Ganesh Pyne: Photographs and Photo Collages by Veena Bhargava" (2020), at Akar Prakar, Kolkata. Her work has been featured in "Fantastic Realities and Beyond" (2024), at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi; “Response” at GEM Cinema, Kolkata, (2018); “The Golden Bough” at Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata (2017) and many more group exhibition in India and abroad. She has also worked in several interactive and collaborative artist workshops. She has been awarded for painting and drawing by the Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata (1972-74) (1981), and the National Award from Lalit Kala Academi, New Delhi (1986). Her works are in several public collections, including The Alkazi Collection, New Delhi, the Arts Acre Museum of Bengal Modern Art, Kolkata, the Birla Academy of Art & Culture, Kolkata, and many more. She lives and works in Kolkata.
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