YOUNG INDIAN ARTISTS PAINTING EXHIBITION

The High Commission of India in South Africa presents a contemporary art exhibition by young Indian Artists. The exhibition comes after the highly successful Festival of India in South Africa organised by the High Commission in partnership with the Department of Arts and Culture of South Africa during June-August 2011. The two countries have a rich tradition of cultural ties strengthened by strong people to people exchanges.

The 'Young Indian Artists Painting' Exhibition will open on Wednesday 11 July 2012 at the National Museum of Cultural History in Pretoria.

The four distinguished artists are Dr Balesh Jindal, Niladri Paul, Raghu Vyas and Sonika Agarwal. All are prominent artists in India and have exhibited their works in many countries. The exhibition showcases some of their selected paintings, giving glimpses of the different influences that have shaped them individually in the Indian contemporary art scene.

Balesh Jindal is a doctor by profession and due to her busy medical practice she has only had a few exhibitions, yet her paintings adorn the walls of numerous prominent art collectors in India and abroad. She seldom titles her paintings but chooses to accompany them with a verse. Her works have a very rich texture and luminosity and combine the art of painting and sculpture on paper and canvas.

Niladri Paul graduated from the Government College of Arts and Craft, Calcutta in 1986. In 1992 he held his first solo exhibition of watercolours and oil sketches. Over the past 20 years he has had many solo exhibitions and participated in many group shows and Festivals in India. His most recent solo exhibition Sutradhaar was at the Vinyasa Art Gallery, Chennai.

Raghu Vyas lives and works in New Delhi. He has held 25 one man shows in Delhi, Mumbai Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore UK and Canada and has participated in various group shows in India and abroad. He has received awards and accolades and has made a documentary film for the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

Sonika Agarwal, a deeply ardent and a passionate painter has been expressing herself through the medium of paintings since childhood. This self-taught artist uses various mediums like oil on canvas, watercolours, acrylic colours, charcoal and pastels. She has held over 15 solo and group showcasings of her paintings with established art galleries.

Having been on show in Pretoria and Johannesburg, the exhibition comes to the artSPACE durban Gallery, 3 Miller Road Durban from August 23 to September 3.

For further information visit www.indiansouthafrica.com / www.facebook.com/hcisa