The Art Space

Fresco painting in India has a rich history, especially in the context of ancient and medieval art. While it might not be as widely recognized as in some other regions, India has several notable fresco examples. Ajanta and Ellora Caves : These UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Maharashtra feature stunning frescoes dating back to the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century CE. The Ajanta Caves showcase elaborate paintings depicting the life of Buddha and various Jataka tales. The Ellora Caves also have some frescoes, albeit fewer in number compared to Ajanta, portraying Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain themes. Shekhawati Region : In Rajasthan, particularly in the Shekhawati region, fresco paintings adorn havelis (traditional ornate homes). These frescoes depict a variety of themes, including mythological stories, daily life scenes, and religious motifs. The town of Mandawa is known for its beautifully painted havelis showcasing this art form. Bundi Palace : The palace in Bundi, Rajasthan, is renowned ...

  Amrita Sher-Gil was a renowned Indian painter, often considered one of the most important Indian artists of the 20th century. Born in 1913 to a Sikh father and a Hungarian mother, Sher-Gil's artistic talent was evident from a young age. She studied art in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Grande Chaumière, where she was influenced by European art movements like Post-Impressionism. Sher-Gil's work is known for its unique blend of Western techniques with traditional Indian art styles. She painted mostly portraits and landscapes, capturing the essence of India and its people. Her art often depicted the lives of Indian villagers and reflected the socio-economic realities of the time. Tragically, Sher-Gil passed away at a young age of 28 in 1941, leaving behind a relatively small but impactful body of work that continues to influence and inspire artists to this day. Her legacy remains significant in the history of Indian art, celebrated for its richness, depth, and portray...

Born in Kapadwarj, Gujarat – Tyeb Mehta is one of the most well-known Indian artists of his generation. He briefly worked as a film editor and then joined Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai to study art and graduated in year 1952. Tyeb Mehta became a part of Bombay Progressive Artists Group. He was a strong film maker, His one and only film, Koodal was also a masterpiece of such montages, where he tries to project the same or similar images through a different medium. He won a National Award for the film. Bulls, Rickshaw pullers, Kali were some of the main subjects of his artworks. His work is characterized by matte surface, diagonal lines breaking his canvasses and images of anguish – a result of pre occupation with formalist means of expression. Use of flat planes of colour provided the canvasses an intense means of expression in his oeuvre of work. A transformation occurred in his painting style when he visited America, it was during his stay in America that Abstract Expressionism...

“I do not feel at home anywhere, but the idea of home follows me everywhere”. Zarina Hashmi was an Indian American artist and printmaker. She received a degree in mathematics and was fascinated by architecture which reflects in her use of geometry and structural purity in her thoughts. A strong influence of her identity can be witnessed in all her works. Use of visual elements from Islamic religious geometrical features are the primary concept behind her art. Amalgamating her religious identity with her sense of symmetry, Zarina had created a niche for herself in the world of art. Her keen interest in Geography and city layouts is the crux behind her art practice. A lot of her works show aerial views of cities. Zarina Hashmi’s work challenges familiar locations like ‘Country’ the ways in which they are bordered, delineated and trans versed, and feelings and memories that they evoke in us. Her minimalist prints use these locations to construct new geographies, imbibing them with f...

Symbolism was an artistic movement that originated with a group of French poets in the late 19 th Century. The movement came into existence with an expression of an idea over the realistic description of the natural world. The term ‘symbolism’ was coined in 1886 by French critic Jean Moreas to describe the poetry of Stephane Mallarmi and Paul Verlaine. The concept of symbolism was incorporated in visual arts, to depict the natural world using symbols as metaphors. Symbolist artists aim to depict various forms of expressions and emotions using varied symbols. The work of symbolist artists and writers was also fueled by new psychological content particularly erotic and mystical. Common themes included: love, fear, anguish, death, sexual awakening and unrequited desire. Though the movement began in France, symbolism was an international avant garde movement that spread across Europe and America during the last two decades of the 19 th Century.       The use of symbolism ...

“I wanted to work with my hands and do something that involved both the hands and the mind (technology). So, I chose Ceramics”. P R Daroz, an Indian Ceramist known for his bold and innovative techniques is considered to be one of the most gifted and versatile artists in Indi. Daroz was the first person from Telangana t o study ceramics at MSU, baroda. Though he had not worked on the potter’s wheel, he was accepted in the ceramics Programme at the University with a scholarship because he had studied Applied Art and Design. The artist is responsible to give ceramics prominence as an art form in India in a way no one had quite succeed in doing before him. Daroz has experienced with a wide range of materials and mediums to create a variety of finely crafted ceramic works in his unique style. In the beginning of his career, Daroz created several series of vessel forms. Subsequently, he slowly began expanding and diversifying his interest towards architectural ceramics. Daroz believes ...

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls”. Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born on 25th October 1881 in Spain. He was considered to be one of the most important and dominant art figures of 20th Century.   Picasso is also known as the Father of Cubism as he pioneered the concept of Cubism in the world of art. Other than cubism he also made notable contributions to Surrealism and known to have invented Collage art.   Picasso intermittently travelled between Paris and Spain until 1904, during this period his artworks suggested a feeling of darkness and desolation. His earliest artistic phase is known as the Blue Phase, featuring motifs from everyday Parisian life, these motifs were significant as they implicated the poverty and loneliness. The artist demonstrated extra ordinary artistic talent in his early years, his style of transitioned during his course of art practice.   Picasso was fairly experimental with his art hence created painted different ...