From heritage temples to skyscrapers

ll set for a journey that takes us through our heritage? Then here’s an exhibition that aspires to showcase how Indian culture has traversed from blissful heritage temples to the present day’s mega buildings and skyscrapers. Curated by Harish Sejekan and co-curated by Jyothi Aranha, this thematic show represents the cultural heritage of India and also its present state of affairs.

“Eka Rikthin is the brainchild of Jyothi, co-founder of Merging Hues, an art foundation formed to bridge cross cultural relations among countries and emerging artists alike. They have done several shows in Bangalore before. She came up with the idea which I found quite intriguing. In an age when we are so busy adoring modern cityscapes, we tend to forget our heritage. This is why I found the whole concept very interesting and worked towards Eka. The exhibition will showcase works by select artists whose oeuvres depict the theme behind the exhibition,” says Harish.

The show features an eclectic mix of emerging and established artists who follow different styles and are from different backgrounds. “Since Jyothi has always stood by the principle of promoting young and emerging talent, we decided to go by that and focus on artists who could be the future of Indian art,” says Harish, adding, “There are pieces by artists Praveen Kumar, whose work predominantly focuses on the shift of architecture in today’s urban world; Sujata Sah Sejekan, whose work is about Hindu deities, temples and monuments; Mukund Kumar showcasing the common man’s eagerness and penchant to escape into a world of serenity; Ganesh Doddamani, a frequent visitor to Hampi, whose paintings represent its intricate carvings, the architecture and the play of light and shadow on the temples; Shraddha Rathi, whose paintings are on stone architecture; Pradeep Kumar DK’s work representing the process of relocation of a youth and Subroto Bhaumik, whose art is sure to take you to the calm lands of Leh and Laddakh.”

Bringing in so many artists with varied styles together for one show — how did Harish zero in on the artists? “Well it was all about keeping the central theme in mind. As a curator, I have worked with several artists and predominantly the upcoming ones. After consulting with Jyothi, we mutually agreed upon the artists. Most of the selected artists have created specific works for the show, but their paintings, over the years, have depicted the same theme that we are trying to stress upon. Bangalore has abundant talent and it wasn’t that tough to find the participants,” shares Harish.

What does he hope to achieve with the show - a sense of nostalgia or even guilt? “The show with its concept poses a few questions especially to the younger generation. One will definitely find answers to what contributed to the establishment of these heritage places, why we should respect and preserve them and how it’s our responsibility to pass on our heritage to the future generations,” ends Harish.