At Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, artists from across India put their talent on display

Indian Express

05-06-2025

Art enthusiasts from across Bengaluru flocked to the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath this weekend to catch the last days of the venue's first national art fair, Namma Art Bengaluru. Over a hundred artists from all over the country installed their respective art forms at stalls centre-staged at the venue, with displays from as far afield as Kolkata and Delhi.
The event saw demonstrations from across the artistic spectrum, along with talks and workshops. These included interactions with Karnataka Sahitya Akademi awardee artist Ravikumar Kashi, and demonstrations of the Kavi Kale artform by Janardhan Havanje, to name a few. Aside from the various stalls at the venue, where visitors could purchase or view artworks from across India, other works from more senior artists were also put on display in the galleries of the Parishath.
According to Harish Padmanabha, a member of the Executive Council of the festival, 'There is no theme as such. We have eclectic art collections, such as painting, printmaking, and some sculptures. There are all genres of paintings, figuratives, abstract expressionism and traditional art in different media… this is the first national art fair in a different league altogether.'
The art styles on display were as varied as the artists – one might expect to see a nature-based print that reminds one of rural India installed a stones' throw away from an abstract piece that might require a great deal of thought to understand, or an intricate sculpture composed of copper sheets.
A Bangalorean artist at the festival, industrialist Giliyal Jayaram Bhat, has worked on both realistic and abstract art pieces at different stages of his career. Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, 'These pieces are landscapes in an abstract form which I have been doing for the last couple of years, in acrylic on canvas. I used to do portraits and realistic landscapes. While painting, the enjoyment from an abstract painting is because you create a total work – the beauty is that even I cannot copy my own work. Each and every artwork is unique.'
Another artist, Raviram VR, has overcome the twin obstacles of hearing loss and being mute. He took his first step towards the art of sculpture at the age of nine in 1982, while watching his uncle, the well known sculptor PV Janakiraman, at work. Since then, he has been working in the medium of sculptures made out of copper sheets, often using the proceeds or themes of his work to help the underprivileged.
His father, PV Ramakrishnan said, 'We have had a good response – he is one of the most well-known sculptors in India. His works have been displayed throughout the world. Last month also, we had a workshop at Lalit Kala Academy in Chennai. He had also exhibited a show at Chitrakala Parishath in 2004 where all the 45 pieces were sold.'
'He beats the copper sheets based on what he is thinking of, and then takes it for welding. Afterwards it is oxidised to get the black colour,' Raviram's father added.