Reliving history: paintings and art works by celebrated artist Upendra Maharathi

Rithu Dravid

The National Gallery of Modern Art celebrated Azad ka Amrit Mahotsav a retrospective exhibition entitled “Shashwat Maharathi -The Eternal Seeker.

The in-house curated retrospective exhibition showcased over 600 artworks of the artist at display. The integrated audio guide made the extensive retrospective exhibition informative and educative.

The paintings were arranged in a chronological order to show the entire oeuvre of an artist’s career. It was certainly a retrospective treat to the public eye in a single space. Using ideas to yarn or string to connecting ideas and thought processes between earlier and later work is a skill and the artist truly exemplifies this.

The artist Padma Shri Upendra Maharathi was an iconic Gandhian artist. The famous pencil sketch of Birsa Munda, the tribal leader and a revolutionist in 1938, and Gandhi in his various moods are some of the expressions of the art that makes his work unforgettable.

“The Bloody Sunset” is a masterpiece of his work expressing all his love, regard and devotion for Buddha. As an artist who chose the untrodden path of developing various handicrafts and handloom traditions of Bihar, he undoubtedly created a niche for himself.

The famous Madhubani paintings and the tribal art of Chhotanagpur were the artistic idioms of Orissa’s folk art and culture that influenced him. Maharathi’s Indian and western technique of art and architecture, portrait making, etching, wood craft, weaving, wash and tempera style of painting and other mediums were the artistic expressions mastered by him. The textile designs on display had Buddhist and Mauryan motifs drawn for the weavers of Nalanda well known as the maharathi design amongst them.

The exhibition also included beautifully curated unique instillations of the Thana Bhana, the handloom motifs, a famous scroll of the 127- feet Sambodini sketch which depicts the life of Buddha has fascinated and rendered to the public eye a panoramic view. The famous picture of Martin Luther King with a portrait of Gandhi in the background is a famous work of Maharathi was displayed.

A picture may mean a thousand words, unless articulately described it may not be reflective. Art is a depiction of visual reality and always involves some form of interaction between the artist and the observer. “It is a creative process to understand and gives us a lot of dimensions which can stimulate creative thinking’, says Darshan Kumar, Deputy curator of the museum.

The gallery walks are a feast to the eyes that capture curiosity and a sense of nostalgia. The art works of the artist touches upon many aspects of life and its existence for many decades. The iconic works called The Fate of Three Great Men by Maharathi depicts Buddha, Jesus and Gandhi , evokes the parallels in the lives of these three personalities who worked towards the salvation of mankind.

The essence of tribal art and its existence using aesthetic criteria in his art works brings out the essence of tribal art and its existence for many decades.

The Japanese work of art and bamboo which were also exhibited in the gallery which brought out the serenity and its eco -friendly nature that adds to the beauty of space.