04.05.2024
"Himalayan Nights" by Dev Chandra at the Jubilee Festival at the IRMT
A notable event of the festival "Roerichs: Heralds of Culture" was the opening of the exhibition of paintings by the young Indian artist Dev Chandra, which took place in the exhibition space of the IRMT. The Сhief guests at the opening ceremony were Ms Torul S. Raveesh, Deputy Commissioner, Kullu - cum - Director, IRMT, and Ms Yulia Aryaeva, Counsellor, Russian Embassy in India.
Dev Chandra (Chandra Kesh Yadav) was born in the state of Uttar Pradesh. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He currently designs and works on various projects in Mumbai. He has participated in exhibitions and workshops in various cities in India and has won several awards and honours. As the artist himself says, he first turned to abstract painting - but did not find in it what satisfied the needs of his soul. He simply stopped painting for two years. After travelling through the Himalayas, life began to make sense. His childhood experiences came alive as he listened to his grandfather's fascinating stories of deep spiritual meaning, surrounded by the mountains at night. These fond memories merged with the thrill of being on the peaks - and influenced his life, his vision and his artistic perception.
While the paintings of St. Petersburg artist Galina Stepanova, whose exhibition opened on the same day, depict sunny southern India, Dev Chandra's exhibition shows the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas at night. His exhibition is called 'Himalayan Nights'. The paintings are clearly influenced by the works of Nicholas Roerich - and the artist himself talks about how the Himalayas and his acquaintance with the great Russian artist's work changed his life dramatically.
The Himalayas became a primary source of inspiration for Dev Chandra, and the series of Himalaya paintings by Nicholas Roerich held new meanings for him and sparked his keen interest in the personality and creativity of the Russian artist. This was mentioned by Dev Chandra during his speech at the Round Table held at the IRMT the day after the opening of the exhibition.
On behalf of all the guests, the Indian and Russian Сurators of the IRMT extended their best wishes to the young artist and expressed their hope for further collaboration.
In Dev Chandra's paintings, the Himalayas are depicted in a dark hue, yet simultaneously exude a striking beauty through the use of vibrant colours. These include the deep blue of the slopes, the pink glow of the sunset, and the slightly golden hue of the approaching dawn. The moon illuminates the snow-capped peaks and the night sky with silver, evoking the night landscapes of Arkhip Kuindzhi, a prominent Russian artist and teacher of Nicholas Roerich. Kuindzhi's night landscapes are renowned for their remarkable beauty.
