Born in Mumbai in 1940, Haren Vakil is one of the upcoming Indian contemporary artists. The artist has had many solo shows in Canada as well as in India. Haren holds a degree in Architecture as well as a post graduate diploma from the Victoria College of Art, Canada. Haren worked as an architect and urban designer in India and the Netherlands.

Harn Vakil’s work is something that is surrealistic and striking. In fact in one of the interviews he has stated “My intent is to produce images which evoke wonder, surprise and amusement.” His art work takes you into a world that is full of fantasy. What is particularly interesting about this artistic personality is the way in which he intertwines reality and dream like situations. There are a lot many situations where you can see the artist’s interest especially in music painted on the canvas. Haren is particularly passionate about jazz and this can be seen in his work. In fact, he admits that he is influenced by his background in architecture and his experiences of various cultures.

Vakil’s work is pleasant and he takes us through images that are out of context. He uses certain objects and places them in situations one wouldn’t think of.  He uses bold bright colours with expressions on objects that leave you in amusement. Most of the images use monochromatic colours that are multicultural with diverse meanings.

Haren’s recent exhibitions include one held at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2005; ‘Figure it Out’ at Fran Willis Gallery, Victoria, in 2003; and at Gallery 1248, Victoria, in 2001, 2000 and 1999.

Art in ancient India began with rock paintings especially in caves where men and women in the primitive time lived. The ancient Indian art showed that the people who actually created this art were highly accomplished and artistically oriented which developed a rich culture. One could see aesthetic sense and skilled craftsmanship in the architecture and artifacts found during excavations on these sites. This ancient Indian art also revealed a detailed understanding of human and animal anatomy on deep study. Ancient Indian temple architecture, murals, sculptures depict the nature of ancient Indian art. Each phase was unique in the field of architecture, painting, literature and art. Different influences both external and internal drove the evolution of Indian art from time to time and place to place. Hindus, Buddhists, Mughals and the British, all ruled over India in different phases and influenced its art.  In ancient Indian art, symbolism is of great value. Indian art is also unique in terms of its varied metaphors, symbols of Gods, Goddesses, philosophies and visual imagery. 

Each period in India was characterized by special features in painting and architecture. Indian artists were primarily concerned with the philosophical aspect of their visual expression. Ancient Indian art is full of creativity and cultural expression. Symbols were used as tools of artistic expression to visualize abstract ideas and diverse philosophy.

Ancient India laid a great foundation for art to flourish and develop in the country. Ancient Indian religion also played an important role in visual philosophy which also helped the art to develop and flourish in a diverse pattern.

Ram Kumar, like few other painters dabbled into other streams before finally taking a plunge in the beautiful world of Indian art. He did have the interest in art but it was not before he completed his Masters degree in Economics from Delhi University that he decided to take the plunge. Once he completed his Masters, he moved to art goldmine world of Paris to study painting. He learned the nuances from famous Andre Lhote and Fernand Leger. He made rapid strides and soon he was awarded with prestigious Rockefeller Fellowship in 1970. That says about the man’s passion and talent.

Ram Kumar’s Paintings always had a touch of reality. He has wonderfully depicted alienation of urban population. Talk about sad conditions of humans and you have this painter who captured all these emotions on his canvas. Whether you talk about hostile conditions and lonely humans in the city, Ram Kumar has simply mesmerized the world with his depiction of hopelessness. He has greatly covered the holy city of Varanasi.

Ram Kumar’s Varanasi has earned great acclaim and critical fame. His Varanasi is without any hopes and dilapidated with mass covered houses. His abstract paintings wonderfully represent artist’s sordid interpretation of the city. He does not magnify quaint ghats of Varanasi and neither has he boasted about erstwhile purity of the city. He showcases what Varanasi has become; the urban nightmare. He portrays the greed of the human inhabitants of the place. It’s truly heart-wrenching. Ram Kumar has won several awards including Padmashree by the Govt. of India in 1972 and Kalidas Samman by the Madhya Pradesh State Govt. he has also earned acclaim as Hindi Short storywriter.

Devajyoti Ray is a shining star in the galaxy of Indian art world. Born in 1974 in Kolkata, he initially studied economics from legendary Presidency College. Later on, he did his Masters from another prestigious university Jawahar Lal Nehru (JNU) University, New Delhi. He is a fish of different kettle. As his birth year suggests, he is quite young and loves to experiment. He is also perceived as an offbeat artist. He has dabbled in pseudo-realism theme and remember, he is one of those rare Indian artists who love to experiment in pseudo-realism theme. Devjyoti often includes regular scenes from everyday life and that is a fascinating way to put across your expression. You cannot really find a pattern in his art works. But yes, you can get lost in the maze of appealing visuals and colors and yet you will be able to comprehend the meaning. Often touted as ‘rising new star’ of Indian art world, he has made rapid strides in recent time.

Talking about pseudo-realism, it is basically a visual art style that presents the elements of reality but in a distorted way. Things are not presented directly but rather through off beat color schemes and abstract symbols. That bring more effectiveness into the art work, popular imagery is used. The imagery is used through a conscious effort and this makes art work even more compelling. To some extent, pseudo-realism is often associated with graphic art. But that is just a minor resemblance.   

Devajyoti Roy has really excelled at portraying realistic themes through vivid usage of color combination. He has this knack of balancing content and theme in an aesthetic way. His paintings represent harmony and innovativeness. All in all, Devajyoti Roy looks very promising.

Jayasri Burman is a class apart when it comes to depicting everyday Indian life. She has done exceptionally well when it comes to showcasing the stark reality of normal Indian life. She has done it in a different way; mixing stark reality with magic of folklore and old-world charm. And how she managed to do it and what was her inspiration? Well, let’s hear it from the lady herself; “On starry nights, while we sat on the terrace, our elders would relate mythological stories and all those characters would mesh into themes that emerged as art motifs in my work. Now, when I am asked where I get my mythological references for my work, my answer is that they do not coincide with any authentic narrative but are figments of my childhood imagination that have surfaced on the canvas as figures and forms that I paint.”

Surprisingly, Jayasri has chosen watercolor as her painting medium and that’s a rarity in Indian art world. She uses bold themes and excels in making use of rich strong hues. Many of her art works can be seen with strange hybrid animas as the central characters. These characters have female figures and human heads. She relishes depicting the sensuous side of feminine forms. What gives her feminine forms certain aura are kohl lines eyes, flowers in the hair and casually draped sari. These characters are very aesthetic. She depicts male forms in equally ravishing way and in a fashion that male characters properly complement female forms. Jayasri is known for giving male-female relationship certain mundanity in her art works. She is basically a woman painter and her works speak for her. She has won several awards and exhibitions of her art works have taken place in many places.