Exhibition brings together 23 contemporary artists in exploration of styles across generations

The Contemporary Lore Sojourn of Styles and Generations Unfurled, presented by Shailja Art Gallery at Bikaner House here, aims to understand artistic genealogy in contemporary practice by putting a seasoned practitioners decades-long meditation alongside an emerging artists experiments Curated by Kiran K Mohan with a critical essay by art historian Johny ML, the exhibition operates on the premise that artistic lineages are not linear.

From veteran artist Ashok Bhowmick's inquiry into human existence to young painter Nilisha Phad's reflections on selfhood through her female protagonists, a new exhibition here brings together 23 contemporary artists to explore conceptual concerns, visual vocabularies, and emerging styles across generations. ''The Contemporary Lore: Sojourn of Styles and Generations Unfurled'', presented by Shailja Art Gallery at Bikaner House here, aims to understand artistic genealogy in contemporary practice by putting a seasoned practitioner's decades-long meditation alongside an emerging artist's experiments Curated by Kiran K Mohan with a critical essay by art historian Johny ML, the exhibition operates on the premise that ''artistic lineages are not linear''. ''This collection of artworks on display is not only about the artists skills it's about the conversation that it initiates. Each artist is looking for an appropriate language through their artistic decisions to choose their mediums. The exhibition is the beginning to collectively create awareness and make the presence amongst the art lovers, both for the artists and the gallery,'' Mohan said in a statement. The exhibition includes works by Anil Gaekwad, Asit Patnaik, Bharti Prajapati, Dilip Sharma, Haren Thakur, Hemraj, Jaikrishna Agarwal, Meenakshi Jha Banerjee, Pandurang Thate, Sanjay K Srivastava, and Shaji Apukuttan among others. The showcase spans paintings, sculptures, and mixed media in a non-chronological arrangement, to encourage ''not looking at art history as a progression but a landscape''. While Harshwardhan Devtale looks at village and urban architectural spaces in his watercolours from an above-eye level perspective, Charudatt Pande offers a more intimate oil and acrylic portraits of houses that look abandoned by their former owners. Veteran printmaker Jai Krishna Agarwal uses 'giclee printing technique' in his allegorical response to the socio-political scenario of the present world. ''By presenting these 23 practices side by side -- not hierarchised, not contextualised by career stage, but as equal partners in a larger artistic conversation -- we're making visible the connective tissue of contemporary practice. The Indian art scene has long been dominated by the same rotation of masters. But a metamorphosis is underway, as contemporary stalwarts steadily make their mark,'' said Shailja Jain, founder and director, Shailja Art Gallery. The exhibition will come to a close on May 14 and move to Shailja Art Gallery in Gurugram from May 17-June 13.