Arup Lodh Gallery

Kolkata – a word woven with mystery. A city with as many unique interpretations as its people. It always remained at the center of our curiosities and discussions. There is one more Kolkata which is being passed over to us through stories and tales from our grandparents –the yesteryear’s Kolkata. A city, where one could take a tram ride with mere 2 paisa. A raise of one paisa in fare would put the city roads on fire and bring life to a standstill. This very characteristic also gave the city a unique distinction of being the city of revolution/protest.

I Arup Lodh, am a budding artist of today’s Kolkata. Like many of you, I have also learnt about the yesteryear’s Kolkata through those enchanting endless stories and tales from my family, through books, through journals and write ups from that era. However, a lot has changed from what the city used to be to what it is now. Definitely, one of the notable changes is – it is no longer the crowned capital of India. But neither it is has dampen the joyous mood of the city nor of its people. The society has changed so as the era. Out of many reasons for this change, one is the dot com era. This 21st century phenomenon has brought the city close not only to the other parts of the country but to the western world. And the influence of this closeness can be seen in every walk of life. This closeness has drawn more attention to the city from people within our country as well as outside; this resulted in over influx of people who accepted the city as their new home.

Multiplexes, shopping malls, high rise buildings and larger than life billboards are covering the entire city skylight. But surprisingly one more Kolkata co-exists alongside this booming modern Kolkata; it exists in suffocating dilapidated slums, it exists in narrow stinky lanes and it exists amongst those unruly street hawkers. On one side, the city depicts extremely busy life and a crop of people who are fiercely competitive; however, on the other side it eats, lives, breathes in litter, pollution and garbage.

As we all do, the city is also trying to keep pace with all these changes but in this process, the city is losing and has also lost some of its old sweet charm. It has lost those gas filled lights, man-pulled rickshaws and the very look of those roads which have connected people from all corners of the city. No longer, those grand phaetons grace the city roads. In today’s deafening noise the city is losing the rhythmic sound of those slowly moving trams. And the loss doesn’t end here as the city has also lost some of its tradition, culture, grandeur and heritage.

However, all these slowly losing or some of the lost iconic objects are at the center of my paintings or creations. They form the subject for my paintings. But when I try to recreate them on my canvas; I often feel nostalgic. And most importantly, it also brings a sense of deep sorrow and void. But I attempt to recreate them for those who desire to see the old Kolkata. Those who live in today’s modern era but have always cherished the bygone era. Those who wish o see the old, clean, hustle free and pristine Kolkata; I attempt to recreate the same on canvas. I attempt to depict various moods of old Kolkata; sometimes the misty winter morning or sometimes the bright sunny day or sometimes water soaked rainy afternoon or sometimes simply the dawn.

I attempt to recreate the magic of enjoying a horse carriage ride on an empty road in front of Victoria or the sheer joy of seeing a tram from far on a winter morning or simply witnessing a rickshaw puller who is rushing to start his day or sometimes on the contrary returning of a man-pulled rickshaw puller at dawn after a long, tiring day. I attempt to take art lovers to the old era but not through a time machine but through my paintings. My medium of recreating this magic is through watercolor or acrylic. I try to freeze such moments forever on my canvas so that art lovers can A re-live those moments as and when they want. It is my earnest attempt to continue capturing these moments till the time I can hold my paint brush. In return, it fills my heart and soul with happiness and contentment. Kolkata will continue to be very close to my heart as I took my first step, spoke my first word, made my first painting and did many such FIRST things here.

Achievements:

Invited And Selected To 55Th International Art Exhibition Venice Biennale 2013. Italy It’s my lifetime achievement and very exited to sharing you that my painting Faded Manuscript Within Reality has been selected and invited into the IMAGO MUNDI BIENNALE 2013. Fondazion Querini Stampala.
55th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale Di Venezia. SANTA MARIA FORMOSA, CASTELLO, VENICE, ITALY. It was worldwide collections by Luciano Benetton. This very biggest and most prestigious international held in every year in different countries. This time it was held in Venice, Italy and I am so pressure for invited as selected artist and represent to India in this Venice Biennale, Italy. Such it was a lifetime achievement in my life and I was so curious when got to know that I have to be paint 4 x 4 inches canvas and to both side of canvas. I was so curious more because I never made any painting to backside of canvas which is wooden stretch.

Though it was so tough and a biggest challenge for me but I have taken all the challenges from them and I have done it and after the see by their international jury board they selected me and appreciated to me a lot. This painting Collection hosted by the Fondazion Benetton, Venice, Italy.
Promoted by the Luciano Benetton Collection, Venice, Italy.

The Exhibition Present Collections from the United States, Japan, India, South Korea & Australia and many more.

21St Century International Watercolor Competition, The Royal Watercolor Society, Bankside Gallery, London In 2010It’s Once again my lifetime achievement and I’m so happy to sharing you that my painting Old Calcutta has been selected and invited into the 21st Century International Watercolor Competition of Royal Watercolor Society in 2010. The exhibition was held in famous Bankside Gin London. This is located in beside of world famous Themes River in London. One of the most hardest International competition in watercolor medium in the world and only 50 artist was selected from almost maximum numbers of countries and from their only 50 number of renowned watercolor artists has got selected in this international competition and I am the only one got selected from India. There was three times of judging process and world famous senior watercolor artists was jury panel.

ALL INDIA PLATINUM ARTIST AWARD & PRIZE FOR BEST PAINTING. FELLOWSHIP OF RS.1,00,000 & A PLATINUM MEDAL
All India Kalanand Art Contest 2017. By Prafulla Dhanukar Art Foundation, Mumbai, India.
THIS FELLOWSHIP WAS SPONSORED BY HINDUSTAN PLATINUM PVT. LTD. ( CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HINDUSTAN PLATINUM PVT. LTD.) INDIA.
It is so pleasure and again a biggest achievement in my life that my large size of watercolor painting has been selected and got All India Platinum Artist Award in 2017. It is national award and most prestigious award in India. Each and every artists are also wait and also there dream for this national award from this biggest art competition in India. I am very lucky and blessed by God that fulfilled my dream and this national award was given by Prafulla Dhanukar Art Foundation. Nehru Center, Mumbai.

All INDIA GOLD AWARD & PRIZE FOR BEST PAINTING. FELLOWSHIP OF INR 1,20,000 & GOLD MEDAL.
All India Kalanand Art Contest 2016. By Prafulla Dhanukar Art Foundation, Mumbai, India.
It is so pleasure and again a biggest achievement in my life that my large size of watercolor painting has been selected and got All India Gold Award in 2016. I so much pleasure to got this national award and most prestigious award in India.
THIS FELLOWSHIP WAS SPONSORED BY BAJAJ CSR (CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR OH BAJAJ ELECTRICALS LTD.) INDIA.
This exhibition was held in Nehru Centre Art Gallery in Mumbai, India. Each and every artists are also wait and also there dream for this national award from this biggest art competition in India. I am very lucky and blessed by God that fulfilled my dream and this national award was given by Prafulla Dhanukar Art Foundation. Nehru Center, Mumbai.

3RD NTERNATIONAL WATERCOLOR COMPETITION 2018. CALIGIRI, ITALY.
Mostra dei Concorso Internazionale di Acquerello della Galleria Esdé, Caligiri, Italy.Lieto di informare che il mio lavoro è stato selezionato per il 3 ° CONCORSO INTERNAZIONALE DELL’ACQUERELLO 2018.
Lazzaretto di Caligiri Via dei Navigatori 1, 09126.Caligiri, Italy.Dal 1 ° dicembre 2018.
Exhibition of the International Watercolor Competition of Galleria Esdé, Caligiri, Italy. I am pleased to inform you that my work has been selected for the 3rd INTERNATIONAL WATERCOLOR COMPETITION 2018.
Lazzaretto di Caligiri Via dei Navigatori 1, 09126. Caligiri, Italy. From 1 December 2018.

TWO BEST PAINTING AWARDS & PRIZE INR 25000. 126TH ALL INDIA ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION OF BOMBAY ART SOCIETY 2018.
It is a great achievement that in my life that I won best painting award and prize of very renowned and very prestigious and old Society the Bombay Art Society Award. In Memory of Late. Shri. Gunavant Hanamant Nagarkar Award & Late. Shri. Krishnarao Ketkar Award for Best Painting…( professional Section). This exhibition was held in 13th Feb to 19th Feb, 2018. Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. 14th Feb to 26th Feb, 2018. Bombay Art Society Gallery. Bandra, Mumbai

 

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