2nd India Art Festival: A mix bag of striking artworks

From nail art to mughal mirror painting, from the portrait of a cow to etching on stones, the second edition of the India Art Festival that began here yesterday, is a mix bag of eye-catching artworks by both veteran and emerging artists.
Mumbai-based artist Wajid Khan's unique iron nail art grabbed eye balls as the 35-year-old artist captures the finest of the human expressions in his portraits made by hammering nearly one lakh iron nails into a hard acrylic foam sheet.
Khan's works, that include portraits of Mother Mary with Jesus Christ and Mahatma Gandhi, are being represented by the Mumbai-based Masterpiece gallery.

"We are only featuring works of Wajid Khan because it has been our vision to bring those artists in the forefront who have have mind boggling ideas and innovative art talent but do not have the means to exhibit their works on a global platform," a representative from the gallery told PTI.
Mirror paintings by Indore-based Sunita Fakriya gives takes viewers on a walk through the intricate corridors of the Mughal era.
The artist has used mirror as a canvas to create paintings using a mix of natural colours and acrylics while giving a three-dimensional look to her artworks.

"Mughal mirror art is reflective in the literal and metaphorical sense and has been a part of the Indian tradition. Most of the paintings here depict the passion, grace and beauty which is reminiscent of the Mughal grandeur," says Fakriya.

Painter and sculptor P Gana is showcasing sculptures of cows while using a perfect synthesis of technique, colours, perspective and emotions.
Cow is a recurrent subject in Gana's works, owing to his childhood memories associated with the animal.
"I have a reverence for the cow, since it has been part of my childhood memories as I grew up in a small town in South India. It is the animal's nature and cultural sanctity which induced a spark in me to paint it extensively. We have an adulation for cows since we decorate and worship it. Being auspicious, it also serves a part of several important festivities in India," says the Singapore-based artist.

When asked about his views on the ongoing debate over Jallikattu, extended his support and said that the bull-taming sport depicts the cultural sanctity and should be seen with goodwill.
The artworks in stone transport viewers into the
pre-historic age, narrating tales about the lives led by the 'cave-men'.
"I am a self-taught artist. The inspiration to create such pieces came from my professional training in industrial designing. So most of the techniques which I have used have been adopted from my trade.
"I have used thin slabs of stones and engraved pictures using needle. I later set them on fire to get a perfect picture. The technique reminds one of people who lived in caves and used to communicate by drawing on the walls," says the 24-year-old artist.

The 3-day-long festival that comes to a close today, is showcasing 35 art galleries and over 400 artists from across 25 Indian cities and 6 countries.
It aims to facilitate dialogue between art galleries, independent artists as well as art connoisseurs.
Masters like M F Husain, S H Raza, Jogen Chowdhury, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall among others are also being represented.
Tanzanian painter Samina Sachak is presenting the rich wildlife of her country, in rich hues of golden, grey and black.
According to her, wildlife art doesn't merely illustrate reality, but also interprets her love for the most valuable resources of her country.

"I started with painting a horse and eventually went on to paint some of the most exciting features of a lion, leopard, elephants and what not. I am basically a wild enchanter," says Sachak.
The artist who works largely in oil on canvas, has created a range of artworks -- "In the Shadows", "The Horn of Africa", "Fear the Fierce" -- that seem at par with photographs of the the wild.
Folk art, still life, miniature paintings, sculptures and landscapes can be found at the Mumbai-based Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation promoting art.
Tribal art traditions like Madhubani, Warli, Kalamkari and Tanjore are displayed alongside contemporary art by several award winning artists.

"Art by Heena" has on display landscapes from Kashmir, painted with an influence of Persian painting techniques.
"I have been influenced by the Persian art and have been researching on their culture ever since I started my artistic journey. I have been fusing two completely different cultures from different lands to create art pieces," says Heena.
Her miniature works are a fusion of Moroccan and Minakari at forms. The intricate art pieces are adorned with mirrors to complete lend the final detailing to the works.