"The Royal Art" an exhibition of Mysore Paintings by Lalithakala Akademi Millenium Award winner Shobana Udayasankar at Triveni Kala Sangam, 205, Tansen Marg > 21st-30th May 2013

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Time : 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

Entry : Free

Place : Shridharani Art Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205, Tansen Marg, Mandi House, New Delhi

Venue Info : Events | About | Nearest Metro Station -  'Mandi House(Blue Line)'

Area : Mandi House Area 

Event Description : The Royal Art is a display of traditional and experimental presentations following the authentic and precise Mysore style of art by All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society - Karnataka LalitakalaAkademiMillenium Award-winning artist Shobana Udayasankar.

A traditional art form that once graced the temples and palaces of the centuries-old Wodeyarempire, the symbolism-rich, intricate Mysore style has lost out in recent times to more commercialized versions. The Royal Art is an attempt to revive interest in this lesser-known chapter of India’s heritage.
Since time immemorial, art, particularly in its traditional temple forms, has served not only as cultural vessel, but also functions as a point of entry into philosophical enquiry and to capture and present deeper ruminations into the nature of divinity and the universe.
Comprising many stages of painstaking and intricate work, including the preparation of the hardboard, the initial sketching, the ‘gesso’ work that provides a subtle embossing, to the pasting of the extremely fragile pure gold leaf and the final painting itself, pieces made following the authentic Mysore school of art take many months of diligent and dedicatedeffort.
The collection presented in The Royal Art: A Showcase is based on the premise that India’s rich mythological heritage has a wider audience, as evidenced from the spread and survival of popular themes such as the Ramayana in art forms native to other Asian countries, including Indonesia and Thailand. The collection presents new compositions that remain true to the original techniques and methods of this art form alongsidetraditional representations. 
The pieces in the collection are based on tales and eventsoccurring in various scriptural and mythological texts, including the Puranas. The ‘SamudraManthana’ or Churning of the Ocean – a metaphorical depiction of the creation of the manifested world that features over fifty individual figures - and‘The Wedding of Girija (Parvathi) and Shiva’and ‘Kama-Kameswari’ are examples of deeper philosophical ruminations on the structure of the cosmos that have been presented and preserved for generations as art.
Also featured are depictions of gods and goddesses, following the symbolisms and descriptions set out in ancient treatises, including the famedSamudrika-Lakshana- the science of anatomical proportions. ‘Devi Chamundeswari’ serves an example of a more traditional representation of the patron Goddess of the Wodeyar kings, while ‘Rama and Sita’ showcases the artist’s contemporary vision in drawing on Thai influences.
In this way, the collection seeks to appeal to purists as well as those seeking a more dynamic approach to heritage and tradition, thusbridging the gap between the ancient and the modern. Balancing strong emphasis on technical perfection as well as aesthetic form,The Royal Art aims to delight, inform and engage the audience, thereby contributing to the revival and persistence of the immaculate discipline that is the Mysore school of art.

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