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Rising stars of 2016

New talent holds a world of promise. as we enter the new year, masters of the arts and culture talk about the rising stars in their fields who they feel will be the face of tomorrow

New talent holds a world of promise. as we enter the new year, masters of the arts and culture talk about the rising stars in their fields who they feel will be the face of tomorrow

The next big thing in fashion Wendell Rodricks on Kallol Datta I think fashion is an art form — you might call it applied art as opposed to fine art, but what’s the distinction Because the same amount of artistic expression goes into clothes, a piece of pottery or a painting. However, some may argue that the role of the artist is to create beauty. Sometimes artists do, but for most of them beauty tends to be a by-product of their quest to explore the complex, messy ambiguities of modern life. It is here that young talent Kallol Datta catches the eye. I strongly feel Kallol is the next big thing in fashion. His work speaks a new language in the Indian fashion industry elevating clothing to art. His expression or application of human creative skill and imagination is intriguing and inspiring.

More than just images Samar Singh Jodha on Sumit Dayal In today’s world of instant gratification ‘photgraphy’ largely suffers from ‘me, myself and I’ syndrome or ‘likes and views’ in the social media space, even if it’s about social issue.

But now there are new breed of photographers emerging who are interested in dedicating their time and energy into more than just making images. Sumit Dayal represents that new thought process, where one is multi-lingual, multi-cultural and on multiple platforms of photography that include education, advocacy, public forums and political awareness. He is part of the Young Turks who will set new standards on how we perceive, consume or get inspired by the world of image making.

Art and ecology Uma Nair on Ashish Kushwaha As a curator I’m always hunting for artists who have new things to explore and I think artist Ashish Kushwaha’s thought provoking work will be shining in the coming year. He creates large-format works using acrylic on paint. In his works, he juxtapositions animals and birds and gives them a backdrop of the contemporary world. I find his works deeply stirring. His work “My New Home” represents a magnificent peacock on a pillar of a colony which is being built and you can see in the cloudy sky an aeroplane. In another work, he creates the same idea of the developing colony to speak of shrinking habitats and paints a beautiful stag in front of it with the question ‘Is that My Home ’ Works that have an ecological echo are crucial and critical in a world where man has destroyed natural habitats.

Graffti takeover Hanif Kureshi on Amitabh Kumar Amitabh Kumar is a promising talent in the graffiti art scene of the country. He has numerous works in Shahpur Jat and Khirki extension area of the city. His style is consistent and growing. Amitabh captures the human condition with his distinctive style of art. He is currently spearheading a public art project “Art in Transit” with an aim to create meaningful artistic interventions and discourse in spaces of transience.

Hereditarial talent box Shallu jindal on Yashasvini Jindal There are numerous talented dancers in classical as well as other dance forms. Personally, I feel my daughter Yashasvini will have a great 2016. The year begins with her Rangapravesam in February, though she has done a number of performances, this will be her first solo performance. As a disciple of Raja Reddy, she has learned the nuances of Kuchipudi and even according to our gurus she is a better dancer than me.

Hidden stars Jaya Jaitly on artisans From the textile industry, there are many artisans who are to be credited as the rising stars of tomorrow. One of them is a young ajrakh block-printing artist from Kutch called Khatri Aqbi. The craft form is very popular and he is doing amazing work in reviving this traditional artform while introducing new colours apart from the popular red, blue and black. He also ensures that all the colours are made out of natural dyes. I believe 2016 should be the year for recognising young talents like him because they are doing their share in retaining and restoring the rich Indian traditional crafts.

Star in the making Sharman on Ranveer For me, hands down, it has to be the one and only Ranveer Singh. Man, he is magnetic, passionate, captivating, and superbly talented all at the same time. His career graph will surely not be flat in the coming year because he has shown that he can play Ram, an over-the-top playboy, a despondent lover, a vengeful brother, a proud Maratha warrior, as well as an emotionally conflicted character. All this makes a telling case that he is a formidable challenger in a scene dominated by the Khans.

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