Younger Indian artists come into their own

While art writers tend to concentrate on the Husains, Gaitondes and Souzas of the contemporary art world, known for their originality and longevity, it’s time perhaps that we also talk of the younger breed of artist such as a Shaw or a Harsha…

These are Indian artists knocking on the doors of high value, and from an investing standpoint, these are “sure bets” for art galleries and collectors. Kolkata-born Raqib Shaw, 35, who grew up in Kashmir from the time he was six months old, but now settled in London, set the art world aglow in 2007 with his The Garden of Earthly Delights III painting that sold for US$5.49 million. This Raqib montage was a risque tapestry of splendid colour with humans, animals, birds and other creatures in plainly suggestive racy activity.

Raqib is outrageous in his underwater creatures as well that is seen in The Garden of Earthly Delights, X, with nipples and genetalia, and the artist makes no apologies for his art. Heir to a carpet fortune that also deals in jewellery and shawls, Raqib, who studied art at Central Saint Martins at University of Arts, London, gave up his shares in his family’s company and preferred to become an artist – a vocation he clearly revels in and loves.

Artist N.S. Harsha, 40, lives in Mysore and is involved in large scale installations and community projects. His Cosmic Orphans, completed in December 2005 for the Singapore Biennale was a painting-cum-installation at the Sri Krishnan Temple in Singapore dedicated to the ninth incarnation of Vishnu. Here. the artist created sleeping figures in the inner sanctum, on the terrace, and on the temple tower (gopuram). For the terrace exposed to the elements he used flat colours.

Harsha won the £40,000 Artes Mundi Prize in April 2008, UK’s highest award at the National Museum in Cardiff, Wales. Artes Mundi, an international contemporary arts initiative, encourages artists to participate on the world’s art stage. Known for his storytelling abilities, Harsha’s keen sense of detail on everyday Indian life, juxtaposed with contemporary world events and images has been a major plus. His winning painting Mass Marriage was a subtle, amusing narrative on Indian marriages, but also reflected in a realistic manner the complex nature of human relationships all over the world.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Canada, Seoul and India.)

talktoretailplus@yahoo.com

RAJ S. RANGARAJAN