More than 60 original and inspiring artworks are being brought to Dubai by Brush Trading LLC & Delhi-based Nitanjali Art Gallery for a 3-day exhibition which will feature works by highly-acclaimed artists including Chhotulal, Meena Deora, Najmi Sura, Naina Kanodia, Sujata Dere, Suman Roy, and Vinay Sharma, all exhibiting in Dubai for the first time.

Veteran artist Partha Bhattacharya will be presenting a collection of ten works which are based on the relationship between men and women.

“The overwhelming response to contemporary Southeast Asian art at recent events such as the Christie’s auction and the DIFC Gulf Art Fair has prompted us to return to Dubai with Rhythms of Illumination,” said Shareen Botelho, Director, Brush Trading LLC.

“There is clearly an increasing interest in art as an investment as the Middle East’s discerning clientele get more educated and exposed to trends in the global art scene. Cosmopolitan Dubai offers us the ideal platform to showcase these unique art pieces that offer a great investment opportunity for not just the city’s large Indian and Pakistani population but art connoisseurs of all nationalities,” she added.

Other artists whose work will be on display include Sachindra Nath Jha, Amiya Bhattacharya, Seema Kohli and Jamil Naqsh, all popular with local art collectors.

Nitanjali Art Gallery is the brainchild of Anjali and Nitin Bhalla. Being art collectors for the past 30 years, their dream came true six years ago with the first gallery in Palam Vihar (now a working studio for young artists). The impetus behind the collection as well as the gallery itself was one of reaching out to art lovers.

Currently, two galleries exist in Delhi and Gurgaon. Anjali and Nitin endeavour to discover tomorrow’s Husains has resulted in a collection of paintings which are a feast for the senses. It encompasses a vast composite of oil paintings, watercolours, acrylics, pastels and charcoal drawings, mixed and contemporary media.

Nitanjali has held several shows in India and abroad. Following a series of such overwhelming overseas shows, Nitanjali proffers to broach the global market, furthering the founders’ commitment to develop international appreciation for and investments in current and future masters. For years people have been investing in the old masters of the country, now it is time that investments are also made in the future masters. Nitanjali is constantly working towards creating a platform for its upcoming artists to foster long term creative endeavour, and encouraging established, seasoned, as well as novitiate collectors to expand their vision.

Brush Resplendent Reveries, a show held earlier this year in May, marked the launch of Dubai-based Brush Trading LLC, the exclusive associate of Nitanjali Art Gallery in the GCC, as well as the continued collaboration of Nitanjali Art Gallery with the Grand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Dubai. Nitanjali Art Gallery and Brush Trading LLC once again come together with this exhibition in Dubai to celebrate the spirit of artistic creation.

By virtue of its exclusive association with Nitanjali Art Gallery, Brush Trading LLC will provide GCC-based investors and art collectors an opportunity to participate in the growing global awareness of Asian art. Brush Trading LLc will organize additional exhibitions over the course of the year and continue to source selected investment oriented art to meet its region requirements.

Kanika Subberwal, resident of Delhi and part of the Al-Kabeer family, has appreciated Indian culture in multifarious and timeless dimensions. After a number of years working with textiles and design, she wished to embrace broader aesthetics of her native country. Acquainted with the Bhallas for over three decades, she witnessed the founding of Nitanjali Art Gallery; and then she joined hands with them.

Shareen Botelho, originally from Goa, India, has been based in Dubai for almost 15 years, and is a Director of Brush Trading LLC, recently established on the Dubai art scene. Initially, she began collecting Portuguese Art in the late 90′s and diversified her family portfolio into South Asian Art mainly from Indian in early 2005.

A chance meeting a few years back with Kanika Subberwal opened the possibility of propelling on a common platform of art as an investment to different segments of buyers who were initially under the impression that this was not an available avenue. Currently, Kanika and Shareen have founded Brush Trading LLC with the aim to bring together discerning buyers and investors here in the Middle East with original contemporary art.

Artists

Amiya Bhattcharya

Indian College of Arts and Draftsmanship, Kolkata. Senior Art Director, Ananda Bazar Petrika Group of Publications. Designs art publications for the Centre of International Modern Art, Kolkata. Exhibitions at Taj Art Gallery and Jehangir Gallery in Mumbai; and the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre. Participated in Nitanjali’s Indian Art Unbound I in London (2004); Indian Art Unbound II, Grand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Dubai, UAE (2005), Indian Art Unbound Revisited, Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi (2005). Euphonic Palettes, Mumbai (2006); Euphonic Palettes, at the Alliance Francaise, New Delhi (2006); Dialogue, Nitanjali and Ejaz Art Galleries, Lahore (2006); Euphonic Palettes-Dubai (2006); Uninterrupted Journeys- Dubai & Mumbai (2007) and Resplendent Reveries-Dubai (2007).

Jamil Naqsh

Mayo College of Arts & Crafts, Lahore. Studied miniature painting with the renowned Ustad Haji Sharif. Considered to be as eastern as his miniatures and yet as modern an expressionist as any in the west. A maverick and powerfully original artist. In Lahore, the Foundation for Jamil Naqsh Museum confers an annual painting award. In London, a Jamil Naqsh Exhibition was sponsored by Habibson’s Bank Ltd. (2005); and a retrospective, Mohatta Palace Museum, Pakistan (2003). Participated in Nitanjali’s Euphonic Palettes, Mumbai, (2006); Euphonic Palettes, at the Alliance Francaise, New Delhi (2006); Euphonic Palettes-Dubai, Dubai (2006); Uninterrupted Journeys, ITC Grand Central Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Mumbai (2007); and Resplendent Reveries at Grand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Dubai (2007).

Kamar Alam

Recently held solo show in March 2007. Has been part of many group shows all over the country and abroad including Resplendent Reveries at Grand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Dubai (2007). He has also participated in several art workshops and seminars. For Kamar, his painted human forms carry forward unique powerful emotions that are hidden in every individual. He likes to paint his perception of life, his thoughts on the supreme and how an individual relates himself to another. Kamar’s work has a calmness flowing through them. The ethos and pathos have been beautifully put together in these artworks.

Sachindra Nath Jha

Degree in painting from the College of Arts & Crafts, Patna. Solo shows in New Delhi at Triveni Kala Sangam and Raas-Lila, Nitanjali Art Gallery, at Alliance Francaise, New Delhi (2006). Group shows in Patna, Delhi and Kolkata. Featured in Nitanjali’s Harmonious Chants at Visual Arts gallery, Delhi (2003); Indian Art Unbound I exhibition held by Nitanjali in London (2004); Indian Art Unbound II, Grand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Dubai, UAE (2005); and Indian Art Unbound Revisited, Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi (2005); Euphonic Palettes, Mumbai (2006); Euphonic Palettes, at the Alliance Francaise, New Delhi (2006); Dialogue exhibition, Nitanjali and Ejaz Art Galleries, Lahore (2006); Euphonic Palettes-Dubai, Nitanjali Art Gallery, Dubai (2006); Uninterrupted Journeys-Dubai and Mumbai (2007); Resplendent Reveries at Grand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Dubai (2007).

Sanatan Dinda

Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata. Solo exhibitions presented by RPG enterprises; Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata (1996); Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai (1999). Participated in Nitanjali’s Euphonic Palettes, Mumbai (2006); Euphonic Palettes, at the Alliance Francaise, New Delhi (2006); Euphonic Palettes-Dubai (2006); and Uninterrupted Journeys-Dubai (2007). Solo exhibition with Nitanjali, Dream Boat, Mumbai (2007). Numerous awards received in West Bengal. Work in collections across the globe, from that of the Duchess of Kent, Buckingham Palace, UK; to ISCON, Europe; RPG Enterprises; the Reliance Group; and Ballarpur Industries Ltd.

Seema Kohli

Diploma in Applied Arts, South Delhi Polytechnic Institute. Trained with Devraj Dakoji, Rameshwar Broota, and then at Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal. Solo and group shows in India, including at Art Heritage, Delhi (2000), Polka Art Gallery, New Delhi (2005, 2006); Chor Bazaar, London (2006); and Hiranyagarbha -The Golden Womb, Visual Arts Gallery, New Delhi (2007). Participated in Nitanjali’s Digressing Domains, at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi (2006); Euphonic Palettes-Dubai (2006); Uninterrupted Journeys-Dubai and Mumbai (2007); Resplendent Reveries at Grand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Dubai (2007).

Sourav Bhattacharya

B.F.A from Rabindra Bharti University in 2005 with first class. Participated in College Annual Shows (2002-05) and Academy Annual Exhibition (’03). Received several awards including Best Painting Award in College Annual Show (’05). Exhibited in Nitanjali’s Indian Art Unbound II, Grand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Dubai, UAE (2005); Indian Art Unbound Revisited, Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi (2005); Euphonic Palettes, Mumbai, (2006); Euphonic Palettes, at the Alliance Francaise, New Delhi (2006); Dialogue, Nitanjali and Ejaz Art Galleries, Lahore, (2006); Euphonic Palettes-Dubai (2006); Uninterrupted Journeys, Dubai and Mumbai (2007); Resplendent Reveries at Grand Hyatt DubaiGrand Hyatt Dubai (2007).

Vinay Sharma

Studied painting at the Rajasthan College of Arts in Jaipur, then Liverpool University, U.K. Completed his Post-graduate degree in Fine Arts at M.S. University, Baroda. Exhibited in India and overseas, and participated Digressing Domains, Nitanjali Art Gallery at Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi (2006) and Uninterrupted Journeys at ITC Grand Central, Mumbai (2007).

Najmi Sura

Born in 1951 in Karachi.

B.A. Karachi University. Learned miniature painting from Jamil Naqsh. In 1984, first prize, Annual Arts Council exhibition, Pakistan. Themes of Pahari, Rajput and Mughal schools characterize her work with a modern sensibility. Exhibitions in Pakistan and travels abroad. Participated in ‘Euphonic Palettes’, contemporary art from India and Pakistan, held in Mumbai at the ITC Grand Central and in Delhi at the Alliance Francaise.

Nayanaa Kanodia

Born 1950, Nayanaa Kanodia grew up in Delhi, graduated in Economics Honours and winner of the National Scholarship of the Government of India. An Economist turned painter, Nayanaa is entirely a self-taught artist working in L’ art Naif, except for a year’s apprenticeship with Anjolie Ela Menon. She has exhibited widely in India and abroad, in solo and group shows, especially in museums and art galleries in London and Paris. In 1998, she was selected by The Commonwealth Institute, to hold a solo show in their newly renovated complex in London. In 2001 she was invited by the Victoria and Albert Museum, UK to exhibit her work and to give a demonstration of her technique. She has also conducted several art workshops and participated in camps in various parts on India and overseas. Nayanaa’s work is held in many public and private collections in India and abroad including Museums. She lives in Mumbai.

Rahat Naveed Masud

Rahat is an artist of international repute, and has participated in numerous exhibitions abroad and at home since 1982. Her most recent participation with her self-portrait in “Let Peace Prevail 2003″ by Women Painters in Pakistan, expresses her grave concerns about the human world. She has many publications and art displays at important venues in Pakistan and abroad to her credit. A Significant contribution is the interpretation she gave to the poetry of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, a world Famous Urdu poet of the twenty-first century. Her serious affair with the subject of Fine Arts began at College level (1971-73), and brought her several prizes and a scholarship in B. A. Punjab University. She continued her love and learning of art at M. A. level, and won academic fame as “the most outstanding” in M. A. Fine Arts and the Social Sciences (1976) in the Punjab University. Another Masters in Art and Design (1995) from Kingston University, London, and courses from the Wimbledon School of Arts (1992, 1997) and the Heatherly School of Art, Chelsea, London, are her proud privilege.

Suman Roy

Suman Roy, the son of the legendary painter Suhas Roy was brought up in Santiniketan, West Bengal. Living in a surrounding that exuded joy and simplicity he was trained almost automatically under a philosophy of simplicity. His early works, especially during the final years at Kala Bhawan reflected various moods of nature. After leaving Santiniketan and moving to Kolkata he started working on themes where human presence was predominant. Single human beings-mainly males made him introspect. His mission became to reach out to the viewer and bought realization to the fact that contemporary art movement in India was not integrated. His style is simple as he is confident that the so called technical jugglery does not lead the viewer to any point of contentment.

Shipra Bhattacharya

Held her first solo show in 1981. Her early work consisted of lifescapes, where she drew inspiration from the world around her. Ordinary people were often the subjects of her work. Women, both urban and rural, found greater representation in her paintings. She employed oil as well as mixed media for expressing herself. The pictures were remarkable in that they had diversely positioned elements designed in extremely complex or simple structures. The sharp colours added to the effect of her work. The drawings done by her around the mid-80′s and later were completely different from her earlier work except in their excellent execution. The figures enacted fantasies which were not a part of her earlier work. Shipra’s work is made most delightful by her smooth brush work, well chosen, complementary colours and the dreamy look. In less than twenty years, she has become an artist to reckon with.

Chhotulal

He was born in 1957 and holds a post graduation degree in Drawing and Painting from Udaipur University. He was awarded a Gold Medal with his post graduation degree. He won a silver medal at the 17th Annual All India Exhibition of Painting, Udaipur, the State Art Award at the 31st Annual Art Exhibition, Jaipur and the Kalidasa Consolation Prize, National Kalidasa Exhibtion at Ujjain. Apart from participating in various dual and group shows in Delhi and Mumbai, he has also held a solo show at the L.T.G. Art Gallery in New Delhi. His works are a part of numerous public and private collections in India and abroad.

Culture is everything! It is the very essence of symbolic dimensions of any community or place. It is the social legacy that is acquired and implemented in the lifestyle of people. The values and beliefs, social organization, behavior and the environment are all encased under the terminology “Culture”. The history and culture of Sindh have always attracted great scholars and left them spellbound. Sindh culture can truly claim to be one of the oldest known to mankind even surpassing certain shades and hues of Egypt, Mesopotamia and China. We welcome you to enter the magnificent Sindh world, we have set up for you and be enthralled by the amazing kaleidoscope of Sindh culture.

The Kaleidoscope of Sindh Dresses, Ornaments, Customs & Festivals
The culture of Sindh is a treasure trove of splendour and grandeur. An apparent facet of this rich culture is the exotic, exuberant and traditional apparel, which are intricately hand embroidered. Wide range of Ornaments are used as adornments, the designs of which are either floral or geometric. One of the prominent features is the use of coloured tinsel to enhance the beauty of the jewellery.

The Dynamic Sindhi Language and Literature

Language is life, and literature is it’s beauty. Sindhi Language and Literature have proved to be a significant means of the preservation of the remarkable culture of Sindh over the years. Striving to keep this rich heritage alive, various facets of the Sindhi Language and Literature have been portrayed in this section. Numerous Sindhi publications available today, are evidence that Sindhi is one of the renowned and flourishing language of today. This exhibition is our endeavour to acknowledge our rich heritage.

Delectable Sindhi Cuisine

Food and cuisine play a vital role in Sindhi culture, not only the ingredients and cooking method, but also the combination of food is such that it gives the best nutritional value without affecting the taste. Thus Sindhi food is not only appetizing and nutritious but also well balanced. It consists of rich aromatic food, laden with spices, ghee and exotic traditional masalas. Dairy products have their due importance in the form of Lassi and Kheer.

Pickles, snacks & sherbets are traditional recipes that are handed down from one generation to another & the ingredients of some are a closely guarded secret.

The Intricate Sindhi Handicrafts

In Sindh handicrafts have gone down the ages almost untouched by the growing emphasis on rapid industrialization. The skill of the crafts-man continues to exhibit the 5000 year old artistic tradition, which dates back to the Indus Valley civilization. It’ is punctuated by fresh and incessant waves of invaders and settlers, providing various exotic modes of arts, which with the passage of time, naturalized and blended with their original counterparts. In short it would only be fair to say that Sindhi Handicrafts are a valuable link from the old to the new!

The Invigorating Sindhi Sports

Cheering, clapping and applauding are the norm in any sporting event. An exciting contest pumps the adrenal and boosts one up from the doldrums, be it the participant or the spectator. Sindh is legendary for the unique contests and games it hosts like the Cock and Partridge fights, Malaakhda, Shatranj etc. So to entertain and enthrall you some of these events-mock or real have been portrayed in the exhibition

The Glorious Fatemi Culture

The tradition and culture of each nation is confined by boundaries of it’s religion but our Fatemi culture has no limitations, hindrances or boundaries. In fact this remarkable culture encompasses both the East and the West and is highly prominent in our daily lives. The Fatemi culture has existed in it’s original form due to unvarying and benevolent guidance of the 51st Dai el Mutlaq Syedna Tahir Saifuddin (R.A) and the 52nd Dai el Mutlaq Syedna Muhammed Burhanuddin (TUS) due to which the followers all over the world have remained steadfast to the Fatemi culture.