Art on 'Gandhi and world peace' displays unique artistic expression

Remembering Mahatma Gandhi, an apostle of India's Independence struggle, through an artist's brushstrokes is a unique artistic expression, Lalit Kala Akademi Chairman Uttam Pacharne said on the sidelines of the opening of a show on Gandhi on Tuesday.

'Mahatma Gandhi and World Peace', an exhibition of 75 artworks on the Father of the Nation, reimagines Gandhi in an artist's world. It opened on Tuesday at the Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) here.

The show, organised in association with Mumbai's Sir J.J. School of Art, commemorates the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi and highlights his principles of non-violence and peace, through artworks by 75 artists.

"Gandhi was in the forefront of India's struggle for Independence. Remembering him through colours and brushstrokes is a unique expression in itself. Our artists have imagined his Dandi march, his continued fight against the colonisers, and other events from his life," Pacharne told IANS.

He added that renowned sculptor and 93-year-old designer behind Gujarat's Statue of Unity, Ram V. Sutar, has sculpted statues of Gandhi that find space in major institutions of India, including an iconic one in the Parliament House premises here.

During the opening, Sutar was felicitated for his works celebrating Gandhi. "I've always been inspired by Gandhiji's principles. In 1948, I got my first chance to sculpt his statue. After that, I made many statues of him," the sculptor said.

The exhibition, inaugurated by Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma, will continue till February 12.

--IANS

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