Many artists have created Gandhi’s body as a representation of the country. Seen as an anti-imperialist, anti-materialist, organizer of independence movements, promoter of peace and tolerance, his teachings are relevant even in today’s world. Debanjan Roy’s works however are very direct in terms of the message they want to convey and at the same time, very conflicting. The man is seen indulging in the consumerist culture, involving in international deals, etc. Debanjan Roy sculpts Gandhi in the manner he visualizes ordinary men and their activities.

This representation, communicating ideas of sainthood, renunciation and nationalism are now so pervasive and widespread, that Gandhi the idea precedes any attempt to ideologically place him – he ‘is’ rather than becomes. (Sarkar, 2017)

Manir Mrittik explores various mediums and techniques including photography, weaving, drawing, painting, software and gaming. He uses the method of tapestry involving photography and archival papers.

I’m interested in exploring beauty in human life as a part of nature in a dream-like manner. Digital cameras usually capture only the visible light for regular photography and only what the human eye can see. But I want to see more or less through my camera, like one would with ultraviolet, infrared or full spectrum light. (Mrittik, 2018)

Ambivalent and hybrid in nature, Manir’s work is a blend of magic realism and surrealism. Natural Vessels (21 photographic prints and a gold leaf) contemplates the connection between the being and nature. He believes in undoing the corruption caused to nature and re-establishing the connection.

Manish Pushkale’s persistent search for colours lands him in a palette of discoveries. Through the many layers of colour he gives birth to forms, shapes and textures. The works are unconventional and subdued creating an illuminated platform.

...Manish’s paintings are illuminated by certain brightness. The five elements are alive and energized in a unique way in his work. Absolutely. Sometimes they are not five, just two or three, with the others taking smaller, subsidiary forms. (Raza, 2016)

Jayashree Chakravarty’s subject is nature and its regenerative properties. Using organic materials, dry leaves, branches, twigs, seeds of medicinal plants, etc. she creates fragments of images from imagined habitats and communities for the contemporary viewers, urging them to restore the natural balance. Her works are inspired by French impressionism and Byzantine mosaic design.

Over the years, I started bringing elements of what I saw around into my art—it is an ongoing process. (Chakravarty, 2016)

Jayashree keenly observes how change of seasons leave their marks and traces on the surface of the terrain, how the jagged lines of the barren trees in fall, stand out like silhouettes against the sky and the wind storm and pouring rain create their own imprints on the face of the earth. (Karode, 2019)

Freedom and the pain of displacement find an expression in Ganesh Haloi’s work. The shift from his initial figurative and non-figurative drawings marked his arrival in the world of the abstract. His vocabulary now consists of signs, patterns and marks that establish the nature of his experimentation as well as his drawing of metaphors. He attends to the essential elements rather than jotting down the entire composition – an approach very different from the traditional-moderns. His works are almost like the stanzas extracted from poetry, signifying a world that had been, adding a sense of nostalgia.

I can sense, feel and even see everything out there and in my works. Not only the tangible physical world and its nurturing forces but I can also see the elusive atmospheric elements – the ethereal ones like the wind, air, light, darkness, sound, resonance, silence, movement, vibration, rhythm everything. You can find all these elements in my works. (Haloi, 2019)

Sayed Haider Raza (1922-2016) is one of the most celebrated artists who gradually shifted from vibrant colours to subtle, ethereal tones. Inspired by the shlokas of the Vedas, his artworks breathe an aura defining horizons, grids, angles, strokes, and even a blur. Abstraction for him was rooted in tradition. When tradition loses its spirit, it is left with a void, which the painter expresses in vivid colours – reminiscent of the pastures of the country – and disciplined geometrical shapes. His shadows, admiration for silence, and a sense of infinity are the basic elements that bind his creation. His relentless promotion of traditional concepts and iconography in the global sphere built a pedestal that acknowledged modern art of India.

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