“ISEE TARAH”

Amitabh Ashesh unveils new conceptual foundations for painting in Mumbai  ‘Isee Tarah’, a painting exhibition showcasing Amitabh Ashesh’s original work on ‘Yufism,’ will be on display at the Kamalnayan Bajaj Gallery between 27-31 October. This show is curated by Carmela Brunetti An Alumnus of the IIT and Stanford University’s art department, Amitabh trained under contemporary stalwarts, including Frank Lobdell of the Bay Area Figurative Movement.  The Yufist compositional platform produces a new class of imagery where scenic, figurative and invisible elements share attributes. Windows become blocks of light, rain drops form a trail of ornamental beads and rippling sea waves are worn as a skirt. ‘In accompanying my wife, I have often found subjects. My own love for swimming, tennis, the garden and friendships across countries are another source,’ says Amitabh. Each painting is complemented with a titular poem, nucleating its meanings and letting viewers engage parallely via literary associations. Collective recollection of similar scenery in quotidian Indian life abounds. Bangalore’s famed Brigade Road, home cooking and street dogs fed by kind strangers are given a fresh perspective. ‘Funnily, the wife of a famous British painter recently wondered why I didn’t paint Indian scenes. She interpreted a saree clad woman as Western because of their edgy, out the box form,’ recalls Amitabh.  “I never thought this was possible. This is totally different, unique and inspiring…It’s a new approach that has to be explored, it is truly intriguing,’ says Vanidas Mangathil, a Bangalore-based artist.