Meet Mandar Kulkarni, a city based artist who pays tribute to the festival in his own inimitable style; An illustrator and an art director, Mandar dedicates his compositions to the Elephant God as the city celebrates 125th year of Ganesh Chaturthi.
Exhibiting his Ganesha compositions in Darpan Art Gallery, he chooses to reflect his imagination of the lord on a canvas, giving a visual treat to Ganpati followers.
“Every year people visit hundreds of mandals to see the Ganpati idols and take his blessings. Every idol seems the same with over the top decorations hence I came up with the idea of showcasing the idol in a very realistic, simple and artistic way.
“Since the festival is here, I wanted to reflect the same festive mood and emotions through my paintings. I thought of painting Him so that people come and see Bappa in a very different form without going to the mandaps,” he adds.
Kulkarni, who is also an illustrator finds his inspiration from the idol itself and incorporates the festive elements in his art while keeping the painting classic with Bappa being its paramount. He uses the acrylic medium on canvas and paper. Dabbling with the colours, not only does his work exhibit his inspiration from Lord Ganesha but also portrays the mood of the festival.
“My idea of the paintings are similar. Just the form, elements, styles and placements are different. I have also included the festive elements that are liked by Bappa himself. For instance, in one picture I have included modaks that are His favourite sweets. In the others I have used colourful Jaswan flowers (shoe flower) also liked by the lord.
“I have also reflected the festive mood in the city by drawing various Ganesha idols in the background showing happiness using musical notes. My favourite picture is the one in which I have painted Ganesha with a pagdi, paying homage to Lokmanya Tilak who established the fervour of Ganesh Chaturthi,” he adds.
His work also includes the paintings based on other topics like Mumbai, calligraphy, composition and landscapes. Akin to a photographer using the lenses to capture the mood and story, Mandar mirrors his ideas through his paintings.
“I reflect the realistic world through creative story telling in my paintings. I like telling stories hence my way of painting any image, landscape or location is very different. Every painting, even if they have the same elements always tell a different story and that is what speaks much about my style. My knowledge of illustration is reflected in my paintings through fine lines, abstract designs, layering etc.,” he adds.
Speaking about his inclination towards painting, he says, “I am not a full-time artiste. Painting is a medium through which I can express myself.
I work for an advertising company most of the time but in my leisure, I prefer paintings than anything else. My paintings are also available for sale and I do take orders from clients who want any specific style of art on canvas.”
Reach her at loveleen@pune365.com or tweet @KaurKaur18
- Pune’s Interesting Midnight Food Delivery Options - July 26, 2019
- Excessive Shopping Could Signal Illness- Mental Health Experts - July 15, 2019
- Chronic Stress ? Seek Professional Help Before It Takes A Toll - July 9, 2019
