One Foot Forward

“ Divine Nature gave the fields, human art built the cities.” – Marcus Terentius Varro
Footsteps resound and reverberate against large structures that bind a burgeoning city together. The maze of connecting roads, the ever-changing topography, the experience of interesting interactions in the midst of humanity, the city lights at sundown that attracts. Many have opted to deal with the gamut of a pulsating city, coming from serene surroundings of a rural setting. Metaphorically one foot forward in an urban setting is quite challenging for the individual who has an egalitarian outlook in life, to deal with differences in different aspects of living in Man and Nature.
What is the emotive resonance that pulls the urbanite into the memetic patterns of an urban landscape?
There is a yearning for success and opportunities that is apparent in the expanse dotted with towering buildings and yet a yearning for the peace and simplicity that was left behind in a rural background.
The Yin and Yang perspective is seen oscillating in compositions by Hemant Kumar, Nandesha S, Rani Rekha and Venugopal V G.
Hemant Kumar spends a considerable amount of time in the wilderness as a wild life photographer, and also in cities, to imbibe a “profound understanding of the destruction happening around”. On an introspective angle to his renditions, are concerns based on the ‘concrete jungle’, once the sanctuary of wild life, a stark reminder of senseless denudation of forests in man’s quest for progress. He engages the viewer using man-made materials, to reflect on the dark side of a materialistic world, and yet, he portrays positivity for our environment, using natural materials to reflect on the aspect.
Rani Rekha with her strong lines that portray a sense of belonging in an urban scenario, that is apparent in her expressive compositions, that is free-flowing in her thought-process. Fostering a dialogue with the viewer with her pictorial vocabulary, her love for the urban life is apparent along with her fear of modern technology man-made decisions that impacts lives, causing “long-term problems and already causing disasters”. Every city dweller is eventually striving to build their own world.
Nandesha S delves into the abstraction of his thoughts that breathe into our psyche through his unique style of creations. Inspired and delving into the Japanese culture of order and their ability of calmness, in the midst of natural catastrophe claiming cities, his works are the speculative essence of “collapse and recovery” and also that of “conflict and change”. Through the compositional clarity of his works, he aspires to ‘create’ situations and interactions that can “heal and reclaim”.
Venugopal V G known for his ‘out-of-the-box thought process’, has created a “specific visual language incorporating and combining mundane images and metaphors”. He views the city of his dwelling Bengaluru, as an ‘outsider’ (coming from a rural atmosphere) and has over the years, observed the multi-layered mosaic of challenges, opportunities in the midst of co-existence of the conservative and the modern, in a fast-changing topography of the urban landscape.
Four established artists of Karnataka, in their unique styles of expressing, create impressions of an observation, a feeling or an emotion to present ‘One Foot Forward’!

Nandesha Shanti Prakash

Nandesha Shanti Prakash is a multi-disciplinary artist based out of Bangalore. He completed his art education at the College of Fine Arts and the Department of Visual Arts at Bangalore University. He has actively participated in several exhibitions across India and abroad in countries like Japan, USA, Sweden and Scotland. He has also participated in many workshops and residencies.
His significant Art Residencies include the Karkop International Workshop and Residency in Romania, 2008; Sandarbh International Artists Workshop in Rajasthan, 2008; Arcus Studio in Japan, 2013; and the Busan International Open Arts Project Residence in South Korea, 2019. Nandesha is the recipient of the Junior Artist Fellowship in 2010 and the Senior Artist Fellowship in 2014 granted by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Nandesha currently lives and works in Bengaluru.

Venugopal V.G.

Venugopal V.G. is a multi-disciplinary visual artist and an art educator. He completed his BFA in Painting from the Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts, Mysore and MFA in Printmaking from Chitrakala Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. His art practice in the last decade includes drawing, painting, printmaking, installation, and video art.
He has exhibited his works in numerous solo and group shows in prestigious art galleries across India as well as in countries like Sri Lanka, USA, Japan, Italy, China, Turkey, Colombia, Indonesia, Switzerland, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Finland, and Estonia.
Venugopal was also part of the Residency at Theertha International Artists Collective in Sri Lanka (2010). He is the recipient of several awards and recognitions including the K.K. Hebbar Art Foundation Gold Medal in BFA from the University of Mysore (1998); National Lalit Kala Akademi Scholarship from the Department of Culture, Government of India (2001-03); H.K. Kejriwal Young Artist Award, Bangalore (2007); Printmaking fellowship, Karnataka Lalithkala Academy, Bangalore (2010);
Venugopal currently lives and works in Bengaluru.

Rani Rekha

Rani Rekha hails from a family of hereditary court painters of the Mysore and Vijayanagar kingdoms. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts (Painting) from Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore University.
Rani’s artistic journey extends across the globe with exhibitions in prestigious galleries of London, Dubai, Turkey, Italy, Austria, Germany, Spain, Sri Lanka and the USA. She has also participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in India.
Rani has been honoured with numerous awards, including the prestigious Karnataka Lalit Kala Akademi Award in 2003 and the Camel Art Foundation’s Southern Region Art Exhibition Award in 2007. She was also awarded the Ventipertrenta Jury and Public International Award and the Ventipertrenta International Digital Art Festival Popular Jury Award in Italy in 2010 and 2020 respectively.
Rani works are also displayed in the curated art collections of Bangalore International Airport and Mumbai International Airport.
Rani currently lives and works in Bengaluru.

Hemant Kumar

Hemant Kumar, a graduate with a Master of Fine Arts from Bangalore University, has actively participated in numerous national and international exhibitions. Hemant’s artistic practice extends beyond traditional mediums, showcasing both paintings and printmaking works.
Driven by a keen understanding of new technologies, Hemant constantly explores innovative possibilities in art that delve into new media and diverse materials, pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.
Beyond the studio, Hemant is a dedicated wildlife photographer and a naturalist. Possessing a deep knowledge of flora and fauna, that translates into a passion for nature and capturing mesmerising photographic works. These photographs have been featured in prestigious solo and group exhibitions, and have graced the pages of national and international magazines, including National Geographic and BBC.
Hemant currently lives and works in Bengaluru.

Duration of show – 18th May to 2nd June, 2024
Timing – 11 am to 6.30 pm, (Tuesday to Sunday)