Rangrez Oman, the artist wing of Indian Social Club (ISC) Oman, turned joint curators for the month of September. They decided to go unbridled with the theme ‘Simply 100,’ the exhibition which was aired virtually. Each painting was on a 100x100 cm canvas. The theme was unique and just about any thought was alright as long as the canvas or paper size was a metre by a metre.
Soubam Priyanandan, Uma Gopinath, and Sushmita Gupta were the trio Indian artistes who curated Rangrez.
While each of their works was done in their solitary confinement and none of them were really isolated from their surroundings.
The trio says they ended up hearing similar songs and stories and exposed to the same cultural and natural crises.
But each one is affected differently and therein lies its uniqueness.
“When the theme is ‘just about any’, we believe we truly get a glimpse of the mind and heart of the artists and that is what we set out to do,” they said.
The three share extreme love and respect for each other which showed in the results too. Currently, the three of them are temporarily residing in three different cities of the world. Technology and their camaraderie played a great role in putting a stellar show of 48 paintings by 42 artists.
The Indian artist community under the aegis of ISC felt honoured that Rebecca Nigrinis, a Colombian, and one of the most popular and talented faces of expatriate artists, opened their ninth virtual show for 2021.
Sushmita said, “Uma is the backbone of Rangrez. The joy, pleasure and smooth working every single member experiences is all due to her. As an artist, she has grown in leaps and bounds and her paintings have attained a stature all its own.”
“Soubam is the proverbial gentleman who is quiet and classy. His artistic sense weaves wonders every time Rangrez needs posters. He is a class act without fail and his paintings reflect a deep and respectful connection with nature. They are dreamy and wonderful to say the least.”
Soubam said, “Leading a non-commercial entity is always a challenging task. Sushmita manages gracefully to keep the team and members of Rangrez motivated and get the group going on smoothly — exhibitions after exhibitions. She has set a precedent of good leadership on how to manage a creative outfit.”
“Uma translates a vision into action and a plan into activities. And she does it with ease and efficiency. She ensures all action points of a plan are aligned towards its goal and make them achieve. Which is why she is evidently the backbone of Rangrez.”
About her work on ‘Memories of the Sea’, Uma says the painting is a recollection of a family vacation to the Phi Phi Islands. “The beautiful and scenic beaches calm your mind and soothe your eyes, at once. Life that I knew has since changed. All that has remained is the reminiscence of the past and a heart that yearns to embrace the vastness of the ocean, yet again.”
She added that “Rangrez is truly Sushmita’s baby which she nurtures it well, putting her heart and soul to every aspect of its events. Her energy is amazing and as an artist is a thinking artist who weaves stories on canvas.”
About Soubam, Uma mentioned him as a true gift to Rangrez. “Every event that Soubam has been involved in, he comes up with such beautiful designs as minimalist and chic. As an avid nature lover, his art reflects his love for nature,” she concludes.
The following six paintings were exhibited virtually.
‘Charm of Spirits’ by Mona Rathod
‘Clipper’ by Shashi Hemant
‘Florescence’ by Dr Madhurani Sawant
‘Lake Sealpsee’ by Jyoti Bokil
‘Nuclear’ by Sushmita Gupta
‘Tropical’ by Bhavna Maini
You can follow the writer through his Twitter: @lijucherianoman
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