Eternalising millennium years of art
Spira Tlhankane | Friday September 23, 2016 17:02
India is a country with a plurality of its culture and diversity of art, therefore the Indian Embassy managed to bring one of their largest collections to Botswana for both inspiration and education. There is a lot to learn from these artworks in terms of storytelling and execution.
While most Indian mythology touches on religion, certain myths have been retold by artists over and over again and even today the millennium years of art keeps inspiring new audiences and Botswana would now become a beneficiary of such.
Perhaps the most striking aspect about the work of art at the gallery is the history and legends behind every piece of art.
From cave paintings to pre-historic times, painting plays a vital role in the history of Indian art.
Among the paintings that have stood the test of time at the gallery is the Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906)’s painting. Varma was a renowned Indian painter who greatly influenced the future generations of Indian painters and was popular for his portrayal of scenes from the epic sags of Mahabharata and Ramayana. His oil paintings at the gallery show women clad in Sarees. He popularised Sarees through his paintings and it also promoted Indian heritage and cultural traditions. For locals, Raja Ravi Varma can perhaps inspire artists to fuse fashion styles in art.
There can never be a good exhibition without sculptures and Indian Chola Bronze sculptures at the gallery speak volumes. While sculptures and bronze icons identify the period of Chola, the Nataraja or Dancing Shiva portraying the cosmic dance of Shiva is possibly the most outstanding one. The symbolism presents Shiva as lord of cosmic dance of creation and destruction. The sculpture manages to capture the five principles of eternal energy.
On the other end of the studio, there are Buddhist temples. Though they can just be a work of art to some people, the temples bring a religion feeling within the place and it motivates the viewer to learn more about Buddhist beliefs. Inside the temple is a statue of Buddha to face during a prayer. These can be classified as Buddhist art because Buddhism influenced them. From bells to a stone structure called Stupa, monks used these objects of art as spiritual objects for the practice of Buddhism.
Indian jewelry also plays a vital part in the history of Indian culture and the pieces of jewelry at the gallery are mostly necklaces. They have a typical traditional Indian design and they possess both intricacy and beauty. A wide range of fashionable people can use them.
Perhaps the most interesting part at the gallery for a fashion forward person is the Indian Sarees. The Saree is a traditional garment of an Indian woman. It is an unstitched piece of cloth that is famous in India. Even classical painters show what an influence the Sarees can be.
During the exhibition opening last week, the High Commissioner of India to Botswana, Ketan Shukla said the exhibition would give people a glimpse into the art treasure of India. He said ancient civilisation of Indian differs from those of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome and its traditions have been preserved to this day. “The seal of Pashupati, Priest head and bronze dancing girl are delineated with powerful realism and evident affection. Revelation is the heart of Indian art and architecture,” he said.
Shukla said the icons represent the divine nature of the god. He said India has been the home of arts and crafts since primitive times. “Indians knew the art of painting since pre-historic times. Earliest cave paintings depicting various scenes are the ample testimony of this fact. Indian paintings like Pichhavai, Miniatures paintings, Thangka paintings, Madhubani paintings, Tanjore paintings and various others are now an art lover’s greatest temptation,” he highlighted.