“Originality, sincerity and commitment are the three facets that make the artists in Indian Art Industry sustain a long flourishing tradition dating back to the dancing girl of Mohenjo-daro (2600 BC)”, says Myna Kakar, Director, Verandah Art Gallery, Kolkata.

8^th Jan, 2008, Kolkata: Art evolved because seeing came before words and it is seeing that established our place in the surrounding world, gave us our social identity. If this is premise that constitutes the aesthetics involved with visual art/architecture/sculpture and other media channels that give us what the French semiotician, philosopher, Roland Barthes calls “plaisir” (pleasure), then one must appreciate the collection which is currently showcased at Verandah Art Gallery in Kolkata. It is a gallery with a difference because it is a home gallery in a SOHO environment where one can have a cup of Darjeeling tea and browse through the collections from Sanatan Dinda’s sculpturesque Yugpurush(1) on the Bamian Buddhas through to Kanchanmala Ghosh’s monochromatic contemplation of the female muse in With a Goldfish Around Her (Charcoal & Acrylic on paper, 2007) and in between all that talk about philosophy, history and artistic sensibility. Other works that adored the walls include paintings of some of the best in the industry: Suhas Roy, Bratin Khan, Jogen Chowdhury, Dilip Kumar Chaudhury and Prokash Karmakar among many others.

“During winter months, the preview of an art exhibition takes place in the garden adjacent to the gallery verandah before it is shifted to Birla Academy for a full show”, says Mrs Kakar. In fact, she is an artist by herself who has a distinct passion in art and culture and was collecting art for four years before she took the decisive step to lay the foundation of the gallery in 2000. Her next exhibition will take place on 15^th Feb, 2008 at Birla Academy comprising various artists in a group show. One must not miss out!

For more info please contact Joy Roy Choudhury at e.aryans@gmail.com or call at +44 75073806595 or +91 9830067159