Every artist has an impressive narrative to tell, recently brought forth in an exhibition, ‘Evoke, Ignite, Awaken, Stir,’ by the Art Exchange Project which featured not only professional artists but also individuals from diverse backgrounds who pursue art as a passion. In a world growing distant from art, it is difficult to track the journey of each artist and the challenges faced.
Appreciation from people and sparse turnouts at art shows pose an ongoing challenge for artists. However, art encapsulates the ability to shine through this opacity. Curated by Aarti Uppal Singla, the exhibition featured 16 artists from Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan, each art piece a pouring out of the artist’s inner core. The show provided a platform to the uninitiated to step on the canvas and chart their individual journeys of seeking meaning in every piece of art. The exercise was truly exhilarating for every artist showcased.
Sixteen artists, each with their own unique story, some well-known, others only starting out, all sharing the common love and passion for creativity. Artist Ritu Chopra’s work left a lasting memory on the onlooker, an artist whose works resonate with her felt physical experiences. Chopra relentlessly pursued new forms highlighting the freshness of a raw artist. Her love for trees, for example, is evident in her series where the tree symbolises the real sage, the silent spectators to life, emitting knowledge and enlightenment. Chopra’s paintings have ensured that her spirit lives on, much after life, a poignant reminder that artists never die, their work an immortal and vibrant legacy for generations to come.
Kavita Lomror’s cityscapes, using reflective glass, are abuzz with the energy of city life, a sharp contrast to Chopra’s serene landscapes. While Lomror captures the rush, complexity, and rhythm of urban life, Indraneel Ghose’s photographs serve as a magic window to his winter wonderland, an escape from the searing heat of Delhi, a world of frosty mornings and misty landscapes.
Madhav Bhardwaj, views art as a medium to express the depth of human emotions, his personal release inviting the outsider to connect with one’s inner self. Bhardwaj’s hope is that his paintings evoke serenity and ease, and inspire others to remain undefeated, as a beacon of hope. His series, ‘A Stroll with Blooms,’ is all about an all-encompassing positivity
Reena Chopras work is a testimony to the free-flowing forms in life that speak of a journey and a destination that no one knows about. Life is a river that we float on and the sooner we realise we have no control and surrender to the flow, the better the journey will be.
Sushil Thakur’s ‘The Matrix’ series was truly stunning. Artist Harsh Jalendra’s oil paintings, like ‘Falling’ and ‘Bitter Sweet,’ were incredibly realistic, almost in motion. A fusion of intertwined styles, his work was a walk through dreams and reality, through a colourful spectrum of emotions. ‘The Change of Perspective’ truly altered the way art is perceived.
Artists Khushboo Kalyanwala and Sarla Chandra explored the cyclical movement of celestial bodies. Sujata Khanna, Tushar Nath, and Winnie Singh, contributed uniquely to the exhibition, creating a magical experience for all.
The overall display of creativity was mesmerizing for people who invest their time in art.
Aarti Uppal Singla, the artist and Curator who made it all happen, spoke of a community reborn. Here, art was not just for a privileged few; it was for everyone. Her dream to ignite the creative spark even in silent onlookers contains the power to bring people together. Evoke was not just another art show. It was a journey where tired eyes rediscovered the joy of colour, where doubts melted away in the face of imagination, when strangers became soulmates, all on an artistic discovery creating an invisible bond. Exhibitions like these are a vibrant testimony to the human spirit and its unending search for beauty, a celebration of the transformative power of art that can evoke, ignite, awaken, and stir long after the final curtain are down .
Photo: Pankaj Kumar
