PRAMOD BABU

Simon Njami

Simon Njami is an independent lecturer, curator, and art critic. He was the Curator of the 12th Edition of the Dak’Art Biennale (2016), and a visual-arts consultant for Cultures France, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ cultural branch. He received an M.A. in art history and philosophy and a Ph.D. in law and modern literature. Njami has curated numerous exhibitions of African art and photography, including Die Andere Reise/The Other Journey: Africa and the Diaspora, Kunsthalle Krems, Vienna (1996), Les Rencontres Africaines de la Photographie, Bamako Photography Biennial, Mali (2001 and 2009), Up and Coming, ARCO, Madrid (2003), Africa Remix: Contemporary Art of a Continent, Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf (2004–07, traveling to London, Paris, Tokyo, and Johannesburg), and As You Like It, the first African contemporary art fair in Johannesburg (2008), and was also co-curator with Angolese artist Fernando Alvim of the first African Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007). His latest shows are A Collective Diary (Tel-Aviv, 2010), a solo show of Cameroonian artist Bili Bidjocka (Paris, 2010) and A Useful dream (Brussels 2010). Njami is also co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Paris based cultural magazine Revue Noire, and has contributed essays to the catalogue for the Sydney Biennial and other exhibitions. His latest book a biography of President Leopold Sedar Senghor was published in 2007 (Fayard, Paris).

LouMo

LouMo is an independent curator with experience working in museums, auction and art gallery in North America, Europe and Asia. She has curated foe events such as the Taipei Biennale and the Dakar Biennale. She is interested in investigating current issues related to themes of diaspora, identity, and perception through contemporary art, especially in regions previously considered as non-centres. Originally from Montreal, she lives and works in Taipei.

Àngels Miralda

Àngels Miralda is a writer and curator residing in Amsterdam and Barcelona. She describes her curatorial practice as a secret politics of materiality with the belief that materials contain embedded meanings, relating to global chains of extraction, trade, and industry. Her recent exhibitions have drawn on art historical research into Arte Povera, neo-materialisms, and the roots of Installation Art to create parallels between artists’ materials and planetary phenomena. She has organized exhibitions at the Tallinn Art Hall (Estonia), MGLC – International Centre for Graphic Arts (Ljubljana), Galerija Miroslav Kraljevic (Zagreb), the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chile (Santiago), Museu de Angra do Heroísmo (Azores), and the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art (Riga). Miralda is editor at Collecteurs and writes for Artforum, Echo Gone Wrong, A*Desk, and Arts of the Working Class among other publications and has written and edited publications with Phaidon Press (London), Lugemik (Tallinn), and AMU (Prague) among others

Samit Das

Samit Das was born in 1970 in Jamshedpur; he specializes in Painting, Photography, Interactive artworks, and artist's books, creating multi-sensory environments through art and architectural installations. He has studied fine arts at Santiniketan Kala Bhavan. [ MFA and BFA 1989-1996] Post Experience program [ Book Arts] from Camberwell College of Arts London, throughCharles Wallace India Trust 2001-02.

Samit has been awarded Pernod Ricard Fellowship from Villa Vassilief, Paris,to work on Modernism in India with Paris Connection.2017 and a solo show. ProHelvetia fellowship to study at Material Archive and library at Sitterwerk and research Herzog and De Meuron Archives at [Switzerland] and 2016. As an awardee of Teertha residency in Srilanka 2015, Samit has carefully studied the idea of frescos and murals of Srilanka and India. 2010 awarded Britto international residency in Bangladesh. In 2008, Samit received an IFA grant for a collaborative workshop with the German artists' group. In 2005, he attended a Lijiang studio residency to work with the local community of Yunnan Provence. 2004 Worked on a site-specific project as part of the Indi-Swiss residency in Bangalore. He has also received National Scholarship 1996-1998, and Junior Fellowship 1998-2000 from the Government of India, and a Merit scholarship from Visva Bharati Santiniketan 1992-1996

Prabhakar Kolte

A master of poetic and metaphysical abstractionism, Kolte received a diploma in painting from Sir J. J. School of Art, Bombay, in 1968. Initially, he freelanced as an illustrator, also working as a designer at Bombay Dyeing.

Kolte’s early works bore a strong influence of Paul Klee and his lyrical line. Like Klee, Kolte too found his inspiration in nature—he attempted to paint like nature, relying on his intuition as opposed to imitating nature or drawing from it.

Painting is highly meditative for Kolte, and he draws inspiration from the commentary on the Bhagvad Gita by the thirteenth century Marathi saint Dnyaneshwar. He eliminates anything representational on his canvases that are instead made up of layers of dripping paint. His work is often dominated by a single hue, like a symphony in colour that hides and reveals layers, and in which architectural or landscape-related forms are sometimes discernible. He experimented with installation and performance art in the early 1980s.

Kolte taught at his alma mater from 1974-94 before quitting to pursue painting fulltime. His first group show was at the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, in 1972, to mark the silver jubilee of India’s Independence. Kolte lives and works in Mumbai.

Yusuf

Yusuf was born in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, in 1952. He obtained diploma in both painting and sculpture in the 70`s. He has held 25 one-man shows and has participated in important group shows including the VII Triennale, New Delhi in 1992 and the Bangladesh Biennale, Dhaka in 1995. Yusuf has also taken part in several shows in Korea and Japan.

He was the winner of the Raza Award in 1984 and the Lalit Kala Akademi National Award, New Delhi in 1987. Yusuf was honoured with the National Fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, New Delhi as well. He is famous for his pioneering work in setting up the Graphic Workshop at Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, where he is working now as Deputy Director of Graphics. Yusuf has been made an honorary member of many national and international institutions, and has also delivered a series of lectures across Japan.

K.S. Salve's

Kashinath Satyavan Salve, born in Ahmednagar in 1944, and who has had all his education in Bombay. He graduated from the Sir J. J. School of Art in 1968. When in his final year, he had the chance to see Mohan Samant?s paintings; Samant had brought a show to Bombay from Canada where he lives today. Salve got very interested in the technique used by Samant - the use of thread, and plaster of paris glued on paper and splashed with paint. From then on it has been one long journey in experimenting with techniques. The 1970s saw Salve moving from painting to graphics, the reason being that it gave him greater scope for experiments with techniques and, besides, he realized that he had begun to copy Samant and could not free himself of it. At that time, he was fortunate to be invited to various art workshops held both in Delhi and Bombay.

Ravi Mandlik

Born in 1960 in Achalpur in Maharashtra, Ravi Mandlik completed his Government Diploma in Art from the Sir J. J. School of Art. He was a member of the teaching faculty of L.S. Raheja School of Art, Mumbai and Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai for a considerable period of time.

The Mumbai artist’s recent solo show in our gallery titled “Giest” (2018), is described as the quest for the spirit, manifestation of the soul and intellect of the artist vested upon canvas. The abstractionist earlier worked with pure colors, but over the years, especially since 2006 when he realized that white is a good counter balancer adding a sense of calmness to his work. Strongly inspired by the five elements of nature, each of the artist’s canvases have a symphony of colors, open to infinite interpretations for the viewers. Mandlik achieves interesting variations in textures using brushes, rollers, etc in combination.

The artist has won multiple awards such as Bendre-Hussain Scholarship ( 1995- 1996), Seychelles Visual Art Biennale from the Seychelles Govt (1996), Usha Deshmukh Gold-Medal from Sir J.J. School of Art (1985) and Fellowship from Sir J. J. School of Art (1984).

Palak Dubey

Palak Dubey is an artist and an art based writer. She pursued her studies in Drawing and Painting from Chitrakal Mahavidyalaya and her post-graduation in Painting from Lalit Kala Vibhaag, Nagpur, where she was awarded a gold medal.

She has taught at Lalit Kala Vibhaag, Nagpur, SV college of fine arts, Hyderabad and JNAFAU College of fine arts (as a visiting faculty)She started writing about art for newspapers while pursuing her graduate studies in fine arts. At present she is based in Hyderabad and works as a freelance artist and writer, for newspapers, catalogues and art magazines.

Roar of an ancient voice: art a , a life

Decorated largely, holding a prestigious place in the global art community, the list of Prof. Pramodbabu Ramteke's achievements and honours is virtually never ending. Being among the senior most artists in the country, we are thankful for his vigour, enthusiasm and youthfulness at an age where most artists prefer comfort over passion. His long and illustrious career as professor in Sir J.J. School of Art Mumbai and Govt. Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur, and later as HOD Painting Faculty has helped inspire and build many artists who are themselves renowned today. Thus, his is not a single success story, but a chorus of his own and his many students. To call him a living legend is to say less, and indeed, one would place him in line with the old masters. His is a name that has inscribed itself in the pages of Indian Fine Art. However, I leave the task of dwelling on a detailed account of his career and material glories, so to say, for other critics, for my acquaintance with this artist is neither professional nor formal. His being my guru's guru, I consider myself lucky to have found a place near his footstool, to have had a chance to glimpse at him as the person he is, learn from him and from how his life and art simply blend into one, how he is way above the titles and honours the world has conferred upon him. I feel fortunate to have felt his warm loving presence and to be able to speak about him from personal experience and understanding.

For Pramodbabu, the world is the eternal play of form and colour. Every object holds its identity to him only in its contours, grace and essence. One feels like quoting Orhan Pamuk here when

He masters the details of anatomy and drawing like the back of his hand. Whenever we saw his impeccable rendering of portraits we would imagine him getting everything right even if his eyes were closed, his mastery was obvious and as much as it fascinated us, it undoubtedly also inspired us.

Pramodbabu, the artist

The relationship between earth and sky is rooted in their longing for each other. How can man resist being infatuated by the numerous forms the sky displays before him! Abstract shapes and alluring hues kindled the consciousness of Pramod Babu. While giving concrete forms to these abstracts, the form of Naga -the Serpent - raised its hood from the depths of his childhood. Its coiled, taut body, slithering movements and haunting rhythm make regular appearances in Pramod Babuʼs works. Naga is, at its core, a rhythmic line - sometimes twisted, sometimes straight; at times fat, at times fragile. By interpreting this Naga as a line, one can create unique line-forms. Even if one does not get entangled in their complexities and observe merely as a distant observer, these lines have the power to exude seductive friendliness. A line is but a series of dots. These dots, like droplets, give birth to infinite oceans - with unfathomable breadths and depths. The captivating line forms are not merely there for the sake of drawing, they seem to encapsulate a spectrum of sensations - life itself. These lines don't depend on colours to enchant the observer just as the long black tresses of an attractive girl are beautiful without flowers too. They don't need ornamentations; their true beauty lies in being free. Similar is the case with Pramod Babu's lines. They weave such a complex hypnotic web that for a moment or two one forgets to analyse them on aesthetic parameters; even forgetting

The Darkness Calls

The darkness in the centre beckons. Calling, whispering, asking me to come and dive deep, into an abyss and forget about all the seas. It's very attractive yet it seems forbidden. My own mind holding me back, asking the what ifs. What if I never return. What if there is nothing. What if it's a whole new world. Am I ready to accept what it is.

The whole painting while digital, looks like its been painted, the work similar to brush strokes. The gaps the places through which the darkness speaks, all seem like life wants you to take a peak. A sneak peek while you stay behind the comfort and safety of the colors. And only when you are ready to see do you approach the deep dark sea.

The signature is so well hidden, it blends into the image. Almost like Sir didn't want anyone to notice it. But we all want to leave our mark behind on this universe and so we boldly stamp out our name. But I can sense a hesitancy in stamping this work. It's subtle and one really has to be looking for it.

I tried looking at the painting at different times but the pull of the centre is so strong. I could easily spend hours looking at it and letting my mind be. A stillness a calm descending over me. Maybe it's the deep connect to the dark or may be it's the hope that I get to see something new again.

Samir Hejib

Artist turned educator, Sameer is an authority in several fields including language, school management, performing arts and visual arts. His possesses over twenty years of experience as a educators, teaching people of a varied age groups. Starting from toddlers up to adolescents and even adults. As part of a school management team, he was responsible in setting up school as well. He designed teaching aids that is when he started experimenting with designing activities. His curiosity led to exploration of learning fundamentals.

Beyond mere academics. That is when he started using art as a medium to develop personality traits needed to become a better learner. He has designed over 1000 activities open-ended learning- based activities that SoC offers.

Making Stones Speak

Speaking about his art, the world’s greatest sculptor Michelangelo said: “When I look at a stone, I see faces and shapes in it struggling to come out as if from a prison. So I pick up my hammer and chisel away the unwanted part to reveal what the stone has hidden inside it for so long!”

If stones could speak, the great artworks and sculptures of human civilization we call world heritage art today would no doubt tell us the real story of forgotten Empires and the tragic lives of scores of artists and creators who died nameless and unknown despite their monumental works.

An artisan may have the craft and skill to depict reality with great fidelity and accuracy. But only a true artist can probe beneath the superficial to reveal the soul of his subject to attain the sublime. This spirituality gives his art a universal and eternal quality which is timeless.

Prof. Pramod Ramteke, known to his students and friends as “Pramodbabu”, has had a distinguished career as an art teacher and artist. A native of Nagpur, he has taught at his home university and at Mumbai’s renowned J.J.School of Art, his alma mater. As a senior artist, he has held regular exhibitions at Mumbai’s Jehangir and prestigious galleries all over India. His work has featured prominently in national exhibitions and been recognized with the AIFACS award.

Prabhakar Kamble

Prabhakar Kamble is an artist, curator, and cultural activist. His work addresses social justice, the annihilation of caste, and the denial of these issues by institutions due to selective humanism and ruling class aesthetics negating subaltern expression. His practice is informed by Ambedkarite principles that privilege equality over caste identity. He is known for his politically-engaged performances, which are often complex commentaries on society, marked by a symbolic use of material, either found or made and at times heightened by the representation of a color.

Y. S. Alone

Prof. Yashadatta Somaji Alone born 1963, at Chandrapur Maharashtra and Studied BFA (Drawing & Painting) from Nagpur, and M. A. (Fine) Art History, Faculty Of Fine Arts, M. S. University, Baroda. He was awarded UGC Junior and Senior Research fellowship in 1988 in the History of Art. He obtained M.Phil and Ph. D. from Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Presently he is working at School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi from 8 th March 2007 onwards. Previously he worked at Dept. of Archaeology, Deccan College Post Graduate Research Institute (deemed university) Pune and at Dept of Fine Arts Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra.

He has published several research papers in journals and chapters in edited volumes on Ancient Indian Art and critic of Walter Spink, Ajanta caves and Buddhist caves in western India, critic of modern Indian art, popular neo-Buddhist visual culture, in addition to the above, research papers on the interpretative frame-work of Dr. Ambedkar and social sciences has been published. He has involved himself in writing some art exhibition catalogues as a point of departure to critic the idea of meta-narratives modernity as tracing the difference. His research interests include ancient Indian art, Buddhist art, modern Indian art and popular visual culture, Neo-Buddhist visual culture, philosophy as well general social sciences.

Prof. Y. S. Alone presented research papers at national and international art- history and social sciences seminars, conferences at many places in India and abroad. He has lectured widely at many places in India and outside India mainly Germany, Spain, USA, China, and Sri Lanka. He was nominated as ICCR chair visiting Professor in Shenzhen University China, and was invited as short term visiting professor at Renmin University Beijing China, Autonoma University Madrid, Heidelberg University Germany. He has been engaged in popular lectures as part of social movements.

Prof. Y S. Alone also served as members of various committees of Government of India. His recently published book-‘Early Western Indian Buddhist Caves: Forms and Patronage’, Kaveri Books, New Delhi, 2014, ISBN 978-81-7479. Currently he is engaged in conceptual formulation of ‘protected ignorance’.

Sumesh Sharma

Sumesh Sharma (1983) is a curator informed by alternate art histories that often include cultural perspectives informed by socio-economics and politics. Immigrant Culture in the Francophone, Vernacular Equalities, Movements of Black Consciousness in Culture are his areas of interest. He co-founded the Clark House Initiative in 2010.

Sharma’s Masters in Research at the Université Paul Cézanne (2008) was an Inquiry into Artist Careers, and he was part of the Gwangju Biennale Curators Course 2010 as well as the first Independent Curators International’s Curatorial Intensive in Bombay. He has been a resident at ISCP New York (2012), Kadist Art Foundation Paris (2013) and the Manifesta Online Residency (2013), Casa Masaccio Tuscany (2013), San Art – Ho Chin Minh City Vietnam (2014), and Para Site Hong Kong (2014). He is presently one of the curators of of Dak’Art 2016, Senegal and was ICI’s 2014 Curatorial Fellow Sumesh Sharma in Senegal, where he researched how the funding mechanisms in culture and institutional support of art institutions utilise the power structures put in place by colonial laws.