17-21.06.2018

Krishna’s Flute Resounds in the Himalayan Roerich Estate

On June 17, a five-day-long exhibition of paintings by Renu Kashyap, a self-taught Delhi based artist from Alwar, Rajasthan, opened in the International Roerich Memorial Trust (IRMT) Naggar. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. Akshay Sood, Additional District Magistrate, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. On behalf of the IRMT management the guests of the opening ceremony were welcomed by the Indian Curator Mr. Ramesh Chander.

Mrs. Kashyap who grew up in the colourful Indian state of Rajasthan has a predilection for bright and deep colours, which was unmistakably clear from her new series on Krishna she displayed in the IRMT. A dozen acrylics on canvas making up the series “The Magic of Flute” usher the viewers into a truly magical world of the beauty and subtlety of love between Krishna and Radha. The series is based on the timeless love story put into refined Sanskrit verse of Gita Govinda by Jayadeva.

Each painting is medium-to-large size and depicts the immortal beloveds, Radha and Krishna, sometimes surrounded by their companions, the shepherd girls. In the background, the artist lovingly added human figures done in the mixture of folk style and the style of the doyen of Indian art Jamini Roy. The paintings having a number of symbols and significant details woven into their fabric (lotus flower, peacock, etc.) cannot but evoke the feeling of calm tenderness. During those days, Krishna’s flute once again resounded in the estate of Nicholas Roerich who is known to have explored the image of Krishna in his art and for whom Bhagavad Gita was an important source of inspiration.