My folks didn't actively introduce Art into my childhood.I was a student with moderate drawing skills & a more than average inclination to understand Art.Based on my own interests i surrounded myself with whatever art prints i could lay my hands on. An early memory is one where i collected art prints of works by Amrita Shergill & Jamini Roy from a table top calender. The memory came back to me while i spent a gorgeous afternoon at the National Gallery of Modern Art, absorbing the great works of Jamini Roy, an Indian artist who is renowned for his inspiring contribution to the Modern art scene in India.
The bold strokes, the simplicity of the compositions & the deep hues resonate with me as strongly now as they did when i was a 12 year old cutting out art prints from the calender.
These simple subjects make a great contemporary statement while doing up the decor of a child's room & also serve as a interesting way to introduce a child to Modern Indian Art.
My top picks would be these:
1 - Cat with Shrimp
The flowering of the cat's tail, that offbeat stroke of pistachio green paired with solid colours of blue & ochre, the very presence of a shrimp in the frame adds quirk to the composition.
2 - Black Horse
The Indian interpretation of Anna Sewell's 1877 novel, Black beauty could be this.Standing tall in black against a deep red background make this a powerful image to use.My favorite part about the horse would have to be the effortless stroke that becomes the mane.
3 - Bird
The bold dots bordering the picture, the fish motifs, the "bandini" like dots have a folk appeal but yet look so contemporary with its minimal use of detailing & choice of pastel colours. Who wouldn't love that shade of Avacado ?
