Canvas call with Kulavoor

Born in 1867, Mahadev Vishwanath Dhurandhar was one of the country's most prolific painters; chronicling life in the 20th century Bombay - long before it became Instagram's function to do so. Besides, being strapped for time is the new normal, leaving little space for observation. At a free workshop this Saturday, artist Sameer Kulavoor will take participants through an exercise in observation, at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), where the exhibition MV Dhurandhar: The Romantic Realist is on view.

First, attendees will be taken for a guided walkthrough of the ongoing exhibition, accompanied by the curators. Then, Kulavoor, who is the founder of Bombay Duck Designs, an independent design studio, will share a 15-minute presentation of his work that ranges from art prints to zines. He will proceed with the workshop that ties in with Dhurandhar's art practice.

"He worked on realism. With the rise of photography and globalisation, artists now have more freedom and that style has faded away. I aim to convey the same to participants but the goal now is to not imitate a photograph. They have to draw what they're seeing in their own style," Kulavoor explains, and stresses that it is meant to be a fun activity and not an academic exercise. For an introduction to line drawing and cityscapes, he will also begin with a live demonstration. "We will decide on a spot right outside NGMA and the focus is on drawing a single subject. If people find it difficult to sketch live, they can also sketch a fellow participant drawing. I'm not going to be a strict teacher and mark participants, but it will be nice to have those interested ask me questions," he assures.

ON October 13, 11.30 am to 2.30 pm
AT National Gallery of Modern Art, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort.
LOG ON TO education@bdlmuseum.org
CALL 22881969

FREE

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