The seventh iteration of Abir India’s First Take 2023 is about to engulf the vivacious city of Ahmedabad. This event is more than just a show; it is a demonstration of the ability of art to transcend boundaries and captivate hearts. It’s important to consider Abir India’s extraordinary journey to this point as the expectation grows. Out of scores of entries, about 100 works would be picked by the eminent jury from India. The jury will select the best out of the lot and ten awards in total are awarded.
The show will also bring art lovers together, with dialogues, discussions and demonstrations with senior artists, art historians, art critics, curators and investors. For the First Take 2023 , one among the eminent Jury is Akhilesh. Let’s know more about him and see what expertise he has to offer in Abir India’s First take 2023.
Early life:
Born in Indore, Akhilesh was taught painting by his father. In the beginning, Akhilesh actively fought any attempts to pursue a career as an artist, but by his senior year of high school, his resolve grew brittle. Later, he completed studies to receive a diploma in fine arts. He is a member of the group of painters from India’s rural areas, who are steeped in customs yet displaying a novel perspective. Although he is aware of the trends in the art world, he has been influenced by the tribal and folk traditions of Madhya Pradesh. Later, Akhilesh changed his headquarters to Bhopal and began designing textiles.
Works and Art:
The works of art by Akhilesh seem to be a collection of beginnings. There are no ends, though. His art has the impression of being left unfinished yet does not appear to be. It is impossible to view it as having a beginning and an end. Although the way he employs lines may give his work a certain linearity, these lines seem to disappear into the canvas, refusing to give his work the usual linear features. His works look to be vibrant and new, and the hues evoke strong feelings. He stays away from an uncharted area. Instead, he stays on well-trodden territory. His technique for transferring well-known terrain onto canvases gives his artwork a distinctive quality. His artwork doesn’t scream for attention and doesn’t have anything to offer the casual, rushed spectator. However, they may be a rewarding experience for the patient spectator.
Exhibitions:
Through his significant participation in several exhibits, presentations, camps, and other events, he has attracted fame and admiration for his artwork on a global scale. Among his thirty-seven solo and thirty-four collective exhibitions, the recent ones include: “Symbols & Merveillies les Coulers de Inde” (Nice, 2009); “Enigmatic Scripture” (Munich, 2010); “Butterfly” curated by Prayag Shukla (Mumbai 2010); “Remnantes of Void” by Manish Pushkale (Australia 2010); “Rang-Leela” (Indore, 2011); at Red Earth Art Gallery (Baroda, 2011); at the Institute of Advanced Studies, Nantes (France, 2011); and Chennai Art Summit (Chennai, 2011).
Mr. Akhilesh has also taken part in 123 national and international exhibitions, the first of which was the “Inter- State- Art Exchange” (Lucknow, 1976) and the most recent one was “Contemporaries” (New Delhi 2011); and has been actively involved in a number of art camps, including the Arts India Artist Camp (New York, 2005 & 2006), Kenya Artist’ Camp (South Africa, 2007), Art Summit Camp (Kolkata, 2008), Bhoruka Foundation Camp Many notable curators, including Manjit Bawa, Prayag Shukla, Rm. Palanippan, Renu Modi, Gayatri Sinha, Kalpana Shah, and Manish Pushkale, have staged exhibitions including his works.
In addition to the aforementioned, he has also organised a number of exhibitions, including one for the collection of the Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal and others for the Tao Art Gallery in Mumbai, the Art Indus Gallery in New Delhi, the Aakar Prakar Gallery in Kolkata, the Art Today Gallery in New Delhi, and the Icon Gallery in the United States.
He founded “The Black Group,” founded the “Museum of Police Bands” at PHQ in Bhopal, the “Art of Malwa” Museum at Lal Bagh Palace in Indore, gave a lecture at Towson University in the United States, translated Marc Chagal’s autobiography into Hindi, is currently working on the biography of artist MF Husain, and edited a special issue of SH Raza’s Kala Varta.
His works are included in numerous collections, both privately owned and those belonging to reputable institutions, including those at Jawaharlal University in New Delhi, the National Gallery of Modern Art in that city, the Queen of Iran in that country, the Asians’ Art Centre in the United States, the Swiss Embassy in London, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Vidhan Sabha Bhawan in Bhopal, the Peabody Museum in Boston, the Mr.& Mrs. Chester Herwitz Collection in the United States, an exhibition at The Kalidas Academy Certificate Award (1976), the Bharat Bhawan Biennial (1990), the Government of India Senior Artist Fellowship (1994-1995), and the Kala Kaustubh Samman (2006) are only a few of the honours and accolades that Mr. Akhilesh has received in the world of the arts. He is a resident and employee of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
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