Saturday 14 March 2015

Vanita Gupta, has been awareded one of the most prestigiuos fellowship Grant to New York 2014-15, by Asian Cultural Foundation, supported John D. Rockefeller 3rd

Vanita Gupta- The Achiever’s Spirit! Woman power is proved yet again.

Vanita  Gupta, has been awarded one of the most prestigious fellowship Grant to New York 2014-15, by Asian Cultural Foundation, supported John D. Rockefeller 3rd. She has received this award for her further research in field of art. A very few profound visual artist like V.S.Gaitonde, Ram Kumar and Akbar Padamsee from India had the honor of receiving this Fellowship.
Artist Vanita  Gupta

Vanita Gupta has insatiable soul of an artist. Her style of working is quiet different from others. If she desires to form an image, she would make number of models of same and be at ease only when she has the desired effect. For her painting is not a factory production, so one cannot produce hundreds in a day. There are times when she does not create but just think and contemplate. 
   
Probing into details of Vanita’s artistic progression leaves us with awe and wonder at the way her creativity and research takes shape. Basically, Vanita has been dedicatedly painting only in black since 10 years. Generally the paintings give an impression of being under the influence of a Zen Buddhist philosophy. But as I spoke to her and tried to know her reason for painting only in black, it was clear that she is not under the influence of any philosophy. It is her freedom of choice, willingness to stick to black and she has some strong reasons for it.

According to her black color has intense character. It is the only color that has authority over light. It projects the visual impression of having no visible light, but meticulous observation shows that black is combination of multiple colors of pigment. Unlike in other colors there is dispersion of color that makes the creation complete. But black is a bet to all the colors including white, as it conveys the right creative purpose. Vanita is intuitive and connect with the idea in one go. Due to this spontaneity the idea that strikes her at the particular time and moment shapes out as her painting. Her paintings are completely contemplative. It would be apt to say she lives and breathes her Black. She also leaves lot of empty space around her painting, the white space and background gives creations more depth.
Vanita Gupta recent work gallery view at "Art Heritage Gallery"
Note: We are delighted to extend the exhibition of Vanita Gupta at our gallery premise at ''Art Heritage" till 30th march 2015

Why does Vanita use black, is crystal clear, but it is very interesting to know about her development from being a painter to being a sculptor to creating video installations. Since last five years along with painting, she has been working in metal and creating sculptures. Her sculptures are the extensions of her paintings. She wanted her creations to breathe in vast space. On paper the black image is flat and devoid of any spectrum of light but she felt the need to create that vacuum, remove all the space, be alive form of her painting concept. So for this reason she started working in metal. She attempted to hammer it in flat surface to remove any space in it. She also wanted to cast the same in desired form. She forged the metal to remove all the space in it, make it flat and of desire shape. It gave her immense pleasure to see her panting come live, a thing that could to be touched and felt. But there were many images in her mind that has to be shaped which were unique of being sculptures in vacuum. The trial and error process started. The real challenge was to create sculpture without volume. A hollow effect to be more precise. It was challenging to make mould and equally challenging for the caster to cast it. Still her artist impulse took over the practical difficulties of casting. As the molten metal was taken out of the mould, the artist was elated to see the effect. The models turned out to be of irregular shape, some with hollow, completely vacuous at places. That was the ultimate creation! This is what artist wanted and got. It was blissful for her to feel the forged metal with emptiness of matter and hollows. But the challenge was how to make them stand on their own. Wall was the only solution and we find different casts on wall having their own space.
Recent work by Vanita Gupta
Casting metal was a part of her creative progress. She desired to fill those holes without disturbing the hollowness of her creation. And here we find some of her finest creation of videos where we find void filled with blown up balloons.

Her video projects her spiritual and concentration that is essential for a creation. Her videos have been part of International exhibitions. In 2012 her video works were selected by ‘Videoholica International Video Art Festival’, Varna Bulgaria. Here solo exhibition was presented in London in 2008 by Pundole Art Gallery in collaboration with Rob Dean Art, London. In 2006 her solo exhibition was presented at Singapore Art Fair. Presently her paintings, sculptures and videos are exhibition at Art Heritage, New Delhi.            

by Pankaja JK- Mumbai
More Details about Vanita Gupta

"Vanita lives and works in Mumbai. She has been awarded one of the most prestigious fellowship grant 2015 by "Asian cultural council , New York supported 3rd by J D Rockfeller".  In 2014 she was awarded with "pollock Krasner foundation Grant", New York. In 2008 she received the Raza Award,India for excellence in art. 

In 2014 she was selected for artist residency in Vermont studio centre, USA. Vanita has been widely exhibiting her work nationally and internationally. In 2013 her new body of sculptures were presented by Pundole art gallery , Mumbai . In 2012 her video works were selected by "videoholica international video art festival, Varna Bulgaria. Her solo exhibition was presented in London in 2008 by Pundole art gallery in collaboration with Rob Dean art , London. In 2006 her solo show was presented at Singapore Art Fair. 

All image copyright by artist -2015


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