Thursday 31 January 2013

Artsits Meet 26th January 2013


It was a beautiful January day - the sky was clear, the breeze was warm and it seemed like the perfect way to say goodbye to winter and bring in the tender new beginnings of spring... Over 30 young and promising artists arrived at Ayatana and armed with paints and brushes and enthusiasm, proceeded to have an absolutely fabulous, fun-filled day!!! A traditional Maharashtrian meal, chai, and plenty of laughs and conversation - not to mention a birthday celebration - what a wonderful wonderful day!! Thank you all for being there...!











Sunday 9 December 2012

FigureScapes - Pandurang Tathe's solo show at Ayatana

  







Pandurang Tathe


Soft spoken and endearingly modest, Pandurang Tathe is an artist of extraordinary  conviction and vision.

His ‘Vasti/Basti’ or ‘Dwellings’ series, evoke a resonance that is distant as well as poignant. Dilapidated residences huddle together on his landscapes, reflecting the harsh urban sunlight. Even though these abstract landscapes are shocking in their candid portrayal of the urban Indian panorama, the whites, ochres, and robust earthy tones convey a sense of their resilience and determination.



















His series featuring figurative heads are a perfect counterpoint to the landscapes. The heads  seem disembodied and yet are intensely expressive…replete with the belligerence and bravado associated with the struggle of life in the bleak urban sprawl, each face will beguile you with its honesty and beauty....

Born in 1961, Prof. Tathe has showed extensively in India and abroad in group as well as one-man shows and has been widely recognized and awarded for his work. His work is part of several private as well as institutional collections, including the Bharat Bhavan (Bhopal), and the Lalit Kala Academy (New Delhi) Prof. Tathe lives in Pune, and is a lecturer at the Abhinava Kala Mahavidyalaya.  


Sacred Synergy - Murali Lahoti's one man show at Ayatana









Murali Lahoti




Murali Lahoti is a man of many parts….and almost impossible to profile with a mere handful of words strung together. Born in 1945 in Parli Vaijnath, near Aurangabad, Lahoti ran away from home with eleven rupees in his pocket to pursue his passion. Working as a waiter and a sign-painter to pay for his education, his hunger for painting and his incredible hard-work saw him hold 12 one-man shows before he was done with his training!



A tireless and prolific artist, muralist and painter, Murali Lahoti firmly believes that a formal education in fine-art and painting can only take you thus far. From his own personal experience, reading, travelling and sincere hard work are the real stepping stones to inspiration and success.

Murali Lahoti uses the most lyrical description to explain his inspiration for the Cosmic Creation series.... "If you watch a leaf drift from a tree slowly to the ground, you will be mesmerized by its’ almost dance like rhythm as it spirals downwards. This is the same divine dynamism of Energy in Motion that can be experienced in every aspect of creation....This is my inspiration for my work in the 'Cosmic Creation' series..."