The scoundrel and the gentleman

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What is Kalakriti Art Gallery

Kalakriti Art Gallery stacked on the busy road of Road no 10, Banjara Hills, is a haven for art lovers and artists in the same steam. It is a respite for the eyes that's often subjected to insipid landscapes of dust and soot around the growing populace of our city. The library/bookstore stocks books from Tara Books and other publications that assist legendary and upcoming artists to promote their work. And with the addition of Creatif, I am sure the gallery will surprise us with more shows, like the one we went today to: Window to the Gods by various Indian artists including Raja Ravi Verma. The colors and mediums used such as olegraph and chromograph and the fine lines that define their art was a treat for noobs like me (I am an amateur in the techniques). My mum, an art lover and a practicing artist, enjoyed the display too. 


The Scoundrel and the Gentleman 

But what stole our attention and mersmerised us was the talk by Laxma Gouda, an eminent artist from our city. His theatrics and his ode to the late Surya Prakash garu, a thorough gentleman, was detailed and comical.  He animated Surya Prakash garu's tucked in behaviour and compared it to his rustic upbringing and his fame among the artists' circle. Such is his fame that another artist called him "arrogant" in public and he took it in jest. In an age where we pluck every fruit on our way to be civil and seek for validation, such an ode and such a man was a relief. He reminded me of a few old men I know (Haha!). 

While the gathering, dressed impeccably, and were calm as a feather, to pay a tribute to the gentleman: Surya Prakash garu, this one ode made the family members and the crowd of artists, rumble with laughter. Thereafter it was only a banter until his daughter, Aruna Khan, closed the ceremony with a well-deserved and a well-written eulogy stripped of any theatrics. The closure complemented the commencement of the ceremony: a documentary by Chitralekha Productions highlighting the work of the artist and the gentleman, Surya Prakash garu. 


Like the Yin and the Yang, these two gentleman complement yet complete each other. Perhaps, a bit of their characters have entered their paintings and they have made each other what they wanted to become but what thrilled me and still does is the zest of these artists. Mum was inspired too. 

What we carry to our graves is a bit of you and a bit of everyone we meet. 


















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