Art especially Indian art has the ability where one could find themselves and at the same time even lose themselves. The monsoon is a very special time in India if looked from an artistic point of view as the colours that the rains bring cannot be replicated by any other season.

In order to celebrate India despite its problems, an exhibition called Panorama 15 was organised at the India Habitat Centre. The exhibition displayed the works of 15 artists under one roof. The artworks on display depict various contemporary issues that India is facing like shortage of resources, animal cruelty and many more.

A painting by Chandana Bhattacharjee

In a candid chat with the curator, Priyanka Banerjee, she explains that the word panorama suggests an unbroken world view of things. She further adds, “Despite celebrating the 73rd year of independence, yet there are many social evils prevalent in our society. We want to build a new India which is devoid of all these vices and is full of promises for the coming generations.”

On observation, it was seen that there was a good use of bold strokes in these paintings. Apart from the oil on canvas and acrylic paintings. There is a use of the mosaic technique to create a vibrant expression of the tree of life.

A painting by Punam Rai

When asked about whether it is easy or difficult to impose yourself as a Curator on the artists, she explains that it's easy not to impose myself as a curator. She then adds, “Being a curator I am committed to promoting the budding artists by bringing out their latent talents before the world. To achieve this, I give them full liberty in chasing their creative pursuits. The result is that they come up with beautiful and vibrant artworks.” She also believes that trying to impose themes would bring a sense of monotony in the exhibition with the possibility of no variety.

Monsoon plays a huge role in these artworks as the colours it brings cannot be seen in any other season as this season is a muse for many as it symbolises happiness and colours. “The paintings that are made on Mother Nature create awareness about the exploitation and depletion of natural resources which indirectly impact the monsoon,” she says. Some artists relate monsoon to their carefree days of childhood, some relate it to the ups and downs in their lives. Each painting is unique in its own right as it creates positive vibes in the viewer’s mind.

If looked upon these paintings in a microscopic manner, there is an underlying message that exists in these works. She elaborates and concludes, “The message I want to give out is building of a  new nation which is free of all atrocities towards the fairer sex, where there are love and compassion for the animals, where Mother Nature is not exploited ruthlessly to meet our selfish ends and where there are no shortages of the natural resources in the coming times.”