7 September 2024/
DREAMSCAPES – EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS BY RENOWNED ARTIST K.G. NARENDRA BABU
C.P. Art Centre, Chennai, presents “DREAMSCAPES”— exhibition of paintings by renowned artist K.G. Narendra Babu on Monday, 9 September 2024. Mrs. Sarala Banerjee, founder of Artworld, will inaugurate the show at Shakuntala Art Gallery, C.P. Art Centre, Chennai. The exhibition will be on display until 15 September 2024.
K.G. Narendra Babu’s art blends myth and modernity, featuring gods, humans, animals and objects in intricate patterns. These elements form a cohesive whole, illuminating how art incorporates heritage and cultural values in unique metaphors and abstractions.
Renowned artist K.G. Narendra Babu, associated with the Weaver’s Centre, Ministry of Textile, Chennai, has traveled extensively across India. His vibrant, surreal depictions of animals, natural motifs and human figures bring magical artworks to life with bright hues. Initially working in black and white, he later began weaving stories of village life and landscapes in vivid acrylic colors.
“His works bear complex aspects fabricated to make his art naïve, pure and excellent in craftsmanship; complexity of the subject matter with simplicity in rendering, keeping techniques and gimmicks at bay, which make his work unique. Babu employs in a certain way, that even from an historical point of view his cerebral receptacle churns out an infinite quantum of ideas possibly that could make him as a forerunner in a particular direction of treating the Hindu iconography. Within this periphery of thought, he includes certain day to day objects to serve as metaphors like the oil lamps and lanterns of the yore to the most Advanced machinery of the present. What is interesting to note, are the transformations of these day to day objects which develop into designed patterns, systematically, distorted, queer in shapes adding specialty to the subject matter,” says the curator of the show.
K.G. Narendra Babu holds a Diploma and Post Diploma in Painting from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai. He has showcased his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions across India and abroad, including the Korea & India Exchange Exhibition (October 2019), the 2nd International Art Exhibition at Chang Kil-Hwan Art Museum (Korea), Korea & India – Come Together in Pyeongchang (October 2022), a group show at Jehangir Art Gallery (Mumbai), Overcome with Arts – Chennai Chapter (December 2022) at Kadambari Gallery (Chennai), RED DREAMS BLUE at Ri Ji Art Studio Gangneung (December 2022, Korea), and the Figurative Abstraction show at Mansion Perumal, Pondicherry (February 2023).
K.G. Narendra Babu has received numerous prestigious awards, including the 48th National Academy Award (Mumbai, 2005), the 5th All India Drawing Exhibition (Gulbarga), the IFS Award (Chandigarh, 1995), the Andhra Academy of Fine Arts Award (1992), 1st Prize in the Monsoon Art Show (Bombay, 1998), the Tamil Nadu Nunkalai Kuzhu Award (1988), the International Airports Authority of India Award (1987), the TIAS All India Art Exhibition Award (1987), State Youth Award (1986) and the AIFACS Drawing Exhibition Award (1986).
VENUE:SHAKUNTALA ART GALLERY/ C.P. ART CENTRE/ ALWARPET/ CHENNAI
