An exhibition of artworks by Ananda Moy Banerji (Prints), Kristine Michael (Sculpture) and Sujata Singh (Painting)
New Delhi, 12 August 2015: The British Council brings to Delhi ‘Parallel Dimensions’ an exhibition of artwork by three artists who were trained in the United Kingdom during the formative stages of their careers. The exhibition is in line with the British Council’s, ‘Reimagine Arts’ initiative that was launched in 2013 to build new cultural avenues between the people, and cultural institutions, of the UK and India.
Showcasing printmaking, ceramics, painting and drawings, this exhibition delves into individual narratives, societal structures and the intrinsic relationship between humans and the natural world. ‘Parallel Dimensions’ blurs the distinction between ‘fine art’, craft and illustration and serves to demonstrate the potential of diverse media and techniques of art-making. The exhibition will be on public viewing from 13 August 2015 to 30 September 2015 at The Gallery.
Gill Caldicott Director Operations, British Council India said, “At the British Council, we develop programmes and collaborations that foster intellectual engagement and provide our visitors with unique opportunities for cultural exchange with the UK and India. It endeavours to reflect the wide range of disciplines practiced, to a world class standard by artists from both countries to include sculpture, painting, photography, video, drawings and prints. ‘Parallel Dimensions brings together diverse works by Ananda Moy Banerji, Kristine Michael and Sujata Singh. All three artists have been trained in the United Kingdom at different stages of their careers and we are pleased to have them present amidst us this evening.”
Ananda Moy Banerji works see the role of an artist as a social commentator who examines social and political structures that govern the relationships between individuals and communities. From painting landscapes while in rural Shantiniketan, he shifted focus to portraying the chaos of urban everyday life in the mid-eighties when he moved to Delhi. His recent works explore themes drawn from personal experiences and as a reflection on the state of the world around him. Formal elements such as line, colour and spatial composition play an important role in his work. Ananda Moy studied at Camberwell College of Art under the Charles Wallace India Trust and is currently Vice Principal of the South Delhi Polytechnic for Women, New Delhi.
Kristine Michael’s initial training was in industrial ceramic design at the NID, Ahmedabad; however her foremost passion and research focus remained the non-industrial craft object, and the aesthetics and beauty contained in objects of everyday use. Her interest in the Arts and Crafts Movement was bolstered by her apprenticeship at the semi-industrial Dartington Pottery, which had strong connections with Shantiniketan and Rabindranath Tagore. She works primarily in clay and has researched India’s design history of ceramic art and craft. The current body of work delves into the symbolism of forms drawn from nature, how different groups of animate beings relate to each other creating new relationships and interpretations of feminine mythologies. As a Charles Wallace India Trust and Nehru Trust scholar, Kristine studied at Aldermaston Pottery, Dartington and the V&A Museum and presently teaches at the British School in Delhi.
Sujata Singh specialized in illustration in the mid-eighties, at a time when image-making was being re-invented through a variety of media and techniques. In the UK, she was exposed to not just cutting-edge work in editorial illustration, with its widely diverse subject matters ranging from politics and satire to food, popular culture and fiction, but also classical Egyptian, Greek, Assyrian, African and Eastern art in the museums there; all of which have impacted the formal elements of her work. She focuses on the human form, for its figurative, pictographic and iconic qualities, and for its potential to serve as a metaphor for the minutiae of the everyday as well as historical cultural narratives. Sujata studied at Camden Arts Centre, Central School of Art and Design and Wimbledon School of Arts. She currently teaches at the British School in Delhi.
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide. For more than 70 years the British Council has been collecting works of art, craft and design to promote abroad the achievements of the UKs best artists, craft practitioners and designers abroad. The Collection — which began in the late 1930s, with a modest group of works on paper — has now grown to a collection of more than 8500 artworks, from paintings and prints, to drawings, photography, multi-media and installations. The Collection has no permanent gallery and has been referred to as a 'Museum Without Walls'.
The British Council was established in India in 1948. The British Council is recognised across India for its network of 9 libraries and cultural centres. We offer a range of specialised projects in arts, education, exams, English language and society to audiences across India and more than 100,000 members. We also provide access to English language training and learning for both students and teachers, offer UK qualifications in India and enable opportunities to study in the UK.
For information on our work in India, please visit www.britishcouncil.in