Kalakriti Art Gallery in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, unveiled two parallel exhibitions recently at its premises — Prakriti: A Quiet Continuum, featuring artworks by contemporary and emerging names, and Living Lineages, showcasing the work of folk and indigenous artists.
Meanwhile, Srishti Art Gallery in Jubilee Hills is hosting the fifth edition of its annual exhibition titled Triloka, featuring artworks that reflect how everyday materials carry stories of social life, labour and technological changes.
Those who have keenly followed Hyderabad’s art calendar over the years may be aware that until a few years ago, summer was considered a lean phase with potential buyers travelling, in contrast to the monsoon and winter-festive months that were marked by a phase of buying, among local patrons and visiting NRIs.
Rekha Lahoti of Kalakriti states that unlike earlier, there are no peak or dull seasons for art. “Nowadays people travel frequently throughout the year, taking shorter breaks. This is a contributing factor.”
Gond-influenced artwork by Venkat Ramana Shyam at Kalakriti | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Lakshmi Nambiar, who heads Srishti, concurs that travel patterns have changed. Over the years, she says the gallery has begun to host long duration shows of 30-45 days each to allow better engagement with art for patrons. The gallery is also considering hosting a summer sale of art works, at discounted prices, towards the end of the month.
Prakriti: A Quiet Continuum is a group show featuring the works of Lal Bahadur Singh, Sumanto Chowdhury, Roy K John and K Sudheesh. While this exhibition focuses on the artists’ relationships with nature and traditions, Living Lineages foregrounds the work of folk and indigenous artists. The participating artists include Bhuri Bai, Balu Jivya Mashe, Saroj Venkat Shyam and Venkat Raman Shyam who reinterpret folk art practices through a modern lens.
Triloka features the work of artists Moumita Basak, Nayanjyoti Barman and Nirmal Mondal, reflecting how artists work with materials that carry memory, tension and transformation.
(Triloka is on view at Srishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, till May 22. Prakriti and Living Lineages are on view at Kalakriti, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, till June 15)