If the experience is as bewitching as Ojas Art Gallery’s newest exhibition, ‘Another Master’, nobody would want to miss out on the opportunity to bask in the spiritual impact of Gond art. Anubhav Nath the curatorial director of Ojas Art is presenting a solo exhibition by Ram Singh Urveti of Pradhan Gond Tribe that reminisces upon the artistic legacy of the Central Indian tribe and pays homage to the indigenous people. The exhibition will be on display till March 10, 2024, between 11 AM to 7 PM (Mondays closed).
The exhibition features more than fifty works on display in various mediums, including paper and canvas by Ram Singh Urveti. One of the senior-most artists from the Pradhan Gond tribe, Urveti started his career in 1991, incorporating his folk traditions in a contemporary and evocative style, and the paintings on display cover more than three decades of his prolific working life. Beautifully transient, his pieces exude an otherworldly quality: buffalos, soul-searching, serpents and Mahua trees commingle in a striking outburst of animism.
In his book, ‘Indian Contemporary Art’, Herve Perdriolle observes, “With Jangarh Singh Shyam, Ram Singh Urveti is one of the most important figures in contemporary Indian tribal art. Encouraged by Jagdish Swaminathan, he was one of the first to make the transition from ephemeral art to painting on canvas in the early 1990s.”
One of the highlights of the exhibition is ‘Kahani Sur aur Taal ki’ (The Story of Divine Music), a unique and rare 12 folio-set from 2008-2009, narrating the age-old Gond legend of divine music and how it was brought to earth. In all his works, Urveti’s captivating visuals and intuitive storytelling fuse his perceptions of the modern world with his tribe’s unique symbolism. Rife with tree-of-life motifs and curved silhouettes, his primitive imagery transcends the canvas, inviting you to closely observe the natural world in all its plenitude.
“We are excited to host Urveti’s first solo show in Delhi after his major solo show at Bharat Bhavan in 2017. Also, this show is a culmination of his life’s work and truly throws the spotlight on him as a master of the genre,” says Nath. Urveti says, “I started my journey assisting my mama (maternal uncle), Jangarh Singh Shyam but very soon started making my own works. The National Art Award by Lalit Kala Akademi in 1998 was a major breakthrough for me.”
About Ram Singh Urveti
Ram Singh Urveti’s works celebrate the mythological pantheon of the Gond tribes, creating a world of fantasy and metamorphosis, enlivened with finely detailed organic forms. An auteur, he has produced books and artworks of resplendent significance. His artworks are touted in important institutional collections; namely, the Tribal Museum in Bhopal, Sarmaya Arts Foundation in Mumbai and the Museum of Art & Photography in Bengaluru to name a few.
Image Courtesy – Pundole Art Gallery
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