The Colorothon Open Exhibition, currently underway in Lucknow, showcases 25 artworks representing 25 states and seven Union Territories. These were selected from 200 shortlisted works out of more than 2,000 entries received, says curator and educationist Prof Vandana Sehgal.
She, along with jury members and veteran artists Roop Chand and Jai Krishna Agarwal, picked the top five artists. The first prize went to West Bengal’s Pinaki Bhattacharya, followed by Tsewang Namgail from Leh, Ladakh, Juhi Aggarwal from Delhi, Shimona Agarwal from Bengaluru, Karnataka, and Mansi Dwivedi from Lucknow.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Information Commissioner Virendra Pratap Singh inaugurated the exhibition. The exhibition is underway at Kokoro Art Gallery and is underway till November.
Kolkata-resident Pinaki’s work Threads of Perception captures the grace of hand embroidery, which he calls his “homage to Indian maximalism”. Eighteen-year-old Tsewang, who is studying in New Delhi, says, “Painting is my hobby, which I am pursuing seriously. My oil work on canvas is titled Traditional Cham Dance of Ladakh. I have represented the tradition of my place, centring on the ritual mask of Vajrapani, an embodiment of the transcendent spiritual power of Buddha.”
Curator Sehgal says, “The best part of our national fine art contest is that exhibitors include students, dedicated practitioners and seasoned masters alike, and together they have beautifully presented a bouquet of India.”
{{/usCountry}}Curator Sehgal says, “The best part of our national fine art contest is that exhibitors include students, dedicated practitioners and seasoned masters alike, and together they have beautifully presented a bouquet of India.”
{{/usCountry}}She adds, “Across these twenty-five curated canvases, our artists have transformed fleeting sensory recollections into enduring dialogues. Moving seamlessly between folk heritages, meticulous pointillism, and expressive oil-impasto, each composition honors tactile memory while articulating an authentic, contemporary language of introspection and discovery."
Organiser Shams Ali Warsi adds that they are trying to take art to the open air to make it part of the everyday life of streets and communities. Art lovers in the state capital appreciated the work that has been put on display.
Awardees:
First Prize ( ₹40,000): Pinaki Bhattacharya, West Bengal
Second Prize ( ₹30,000): Tsewang Namgail, Ladakh
Third Prize ( ₹20,000): Juhi Aggarwal, Delhi
Fourth Prize ( ₹5,000): Shimona Agarwal, Karnataka
Fifth Prize ( ₹5,000): Mansi Dwivedi, Uttar Prades