Ajmer-based Ashok Hazra captures the infinite shades of Krishna
Artist Ashok Hazra, a man from a small city Ajmer is all set to showcase his talent and love for Krishna through a solo show of painting titled as "Krishna - The Enigma" at Gallerie Ganesha in Delhi from March 23 and will continue at Gallerie Ganesha here till April 18.
The artist got inspired by the Srinathji form of Krishna in Nathdwara of Rajasthan. For him, Krishna is his muse and he refers the paintings of Lord Krishna as an artform that captures the myriad nuances of blue-skinned deity which is bewildering and spiritual both.
Ashok Hazra said, "I am intensely fascinated by Krishna, in whom I find great relevance for even the contemporary world. He's the eighth child of a family that moved from Lahore to Midnapore, West Bengal post Partition. Also, Krishna's flexibility, adaptability, statesmanship and courage in the face of any challenge inspired him as an artist and as a person.
Hazra visited Ramkrishna Mission in Paharganj, New Delhi where he recognized his love for Lord Krishna. He could relate to Krishna as he was struggling to cope up with certain challenges during the college days.
Supporting himself since a young age, Hazra said, " I studied BFA at Delhi College of Art, my elder brother Dilip Hazra was also an artist but couldn't paint much as he was in a government job. My motive was to excel in this field so I took myself away from the bureaucratic hassles and moved to Ajmer to teach art at Mayo College." He was in Mayo College from 1977 to 2008.
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Hazra began painting for "Krishna - The Enigma," much later but before that he was praised for his work on Clown series which was heartbreaking as it narrated the hidden stories behind a clown's life. Also, he was praised for his work on
Krishna in 1998 which narrated dreams and visions of his youth.
"I used to visit the circus in Ramlila Grounds as a child and again what struck me about clowns is how they hold the whole act together with their mischief and flamboyance even though their life is not so easy. I also worked with ever popularpopular Ganesha, the elephant headed god," said energetic Hazra.
Hazra doesn't follow or belong to any particular school of art, he is inpired by the present mood and surroundings. "Changes in forms and themes remain a part of the process, but the underlying note or mood in all my works is the feel for everything Indian," he said.
For "Krishna - The Enigma" series, Hazra has used elusive shades of acrylic to create the dark coloured icon, surrounded with cows gazing at him with soulful eyes. The paintings will have a calming effect on viewers mind and soul. The rhythmic brush strokes, the forms and textures, the lines and dots and the layering of colours are all reflective of Hazra's connect with the god himself. Each frame shows the immense soul searching which has gone into giving a body to the enigma of a God.
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