25 August : Mahatma Gandhi continues to be the muse for many young contemporary artists even as works by S N Souza, S H Raza, Jamini Roy and other masters draw in the crowds.
At the just concluded three-day India Art Summit, Gandhi and the environment were two themes that were found repeated, by the younger artists.
A giant spinning wheel by Smriti Arora at the entrance of the Art Summit held at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi reminded visitors about Gandhi and his strong promotion of the spinning wheel he used as an expression of self-dependance.
Arora, a Delhi-based artist says Gandhi’s Charkha became a natural inspiration to put her ideas into a creation."Gandhiji’s charkha was an inspiration to millions of people to become self reliant. But in my spinning wheel, I have tied tyres which signify how Gandhi’s principles are being encroached by constant urbanization and villages no longer figure in our conscience," says Arora.
Another sculpture by Arora which had attracted crowds was about women road builders of India, who come from different parts of the country to support their family by working on roads in very difficult conditions.
Like Arora, Vivek Sharma, another artist who found space at the exhibition says he draws his inspiration from Gandhi.His painting titled ‘Spirit of liberation’ is an expression of his idea of freedom.DDINEWS