India Amalgamated

Smita Biswas and Sharmilaa Iyer, bring to your midst, from 9th to 18th of February, 2011 a festival of arts, where 30 artists from all parts of India will be participating, an exhibition aptly titled, “India Amalgamated”. This exhibition is slated to be one of the most magnificent ever to have been held at Thane and more precisely at Thane Kala Bhawan. The participation profile ranges from the likes of the already revered masters like Yusuf, Kashinath Salve to the young and budding artists in the firmament like Chaudhari Balu or Shruti Thakur. The imposing three level circular galleries of Thane Kala Bhawan shall be adorned by no less than 150 individual creations of paintings, sculptors and other related works. It will be one unique forum where most of the artists themselves shall be present for most part of the exhibition. Hence the discerning lovers of art can also have a tête-à-tête with the individual artists themselves.

Smita, herself an Artist, Designer and Curator from Pune and Sharmilaa an artist and Art Curator from Thane have joined hands to organize this exhibition at Thane. Both of them share the view that the emerging artists of our country are being ignored in the recent times. But the emerging artists of today are the future of our Nation. The unbridled talent of the emerging artists is enormous. The emerging artist of today is knowledgeable, intelligent and extremely creative pregnant with imagination. What they lack is care, support and adequate initiative.

This exhibition is actually privileged to have these eminent artists contributing to this show. But Smita and Sharmilaa would like to curate this show with a cause to showcase the talent hitherto unseen by the discerning art lovers from Thane in particular and Mumbai in general.

This is truly an Indian show as it showcases artists from all corners of the country. The artists bring with them the training of a variety of institutions and masters and as well as the culture of their native regions. But what is interesting to observe is that how they have utilised their exposure in inculcating their creative faculty in bringing forth the exquisite pieces of art for all of us to see, visualise, connect and experience -- and ultimately to LIVE the whole experience of an India Amalgamated.

Bigyan Mihir Patnaik