Artists can begin their journey right from abstract: Saleem Khurshid

New Delhi: “My paintings are abstract but they are as much about nature as realistic painting of any landscape, because I paint the spirit of nature not just its form as it is visible to us, ” says noted artist Khurshid Saleem, a Bangladeshi expatriate living in the USA.

Saleem, who is on a India visit, was invited to participate in an exhibition organised by RKG Art and Culture Centre, which is doing a yoeman service in giving a platform to new artists.

Talking to India News Stream , Saleem said his object as an artist is to create beauty. ” why do you look at a flower, peacock, sky and landscape. Why? It’s because it is beautiful. But the general conception of beauty in nature is trees, river sand other objects we see. But the beauty of nature is not confined to those things. The whole universe is part of the nature,” the artist said.

“The whole galaxy is nature too.My paintings try to capture the hidden beauty of nature and that I try to do through 3D abstracts, because nature is 3D.”

Replying to a question, he said that he saw no harm in young artists starting their journey with abstract art, dismissing the theory that students should first perfect their forms before moving to abstracts.

” You leave it to the artist. You should not dictate. Every artist is different. Artists don’t have to be taught beyond a point. It is only they who have to decided what form they will chose for expressing themselves,” Saleem said.

Painting by Khurshid Saleem

Saleem graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University. He was a deputy director of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.He moved to the USA in mid-80s for higher study. He completed a special course from New York University.

Later, he got fellowship in graphic painting artwork and pursued his career in Western and contemporary paintings. He has been honoured with awards and appreciation across the world.

The RKG Art and Culture Centre, located in New Friends Colony in South Delhi, brought at one platform works of 12 artists, many of them very young, with one only 16-year-old. And he is late Makrand Koppula, who left the world at such a tender age. His father Dr Koppula, a heart surgeon at Max hospital here, said his he sees his son living in his paintings.

Other artists who featured in the exhibition were Abhishek Rastogi, Anandita Kishore and Bhaskar Kishore, Tapas Paramanik, Sneha Sadhu Khan, Farzana Shahab, Subuhi Khan, Chandana khan, Kirti Avasthi, Mahua Sinha and Sanjoy Mazumdar.

Paintings by Makrand Koppula

Director of the Art Gallery and art critic Qazi M Raghib said the RGK gallery is unique in the sense that it charges no amount from artist for exhibiting their work, nor does it take any commission on the paintings sold.

”We are doing it for a cause, the cause that is dear to the Gallery’s supporter noted businessman Ravindra Kumar Gupta, himself a great lover and promoter of arts culture and a social activist.”

RKG Art and Culture Centre director Qazi Raghib

This gallery was established in his name about two years ago, and since then, it has been holding exhibitions twice a month, and also hosts cultural shows, Raghib said.

The RKG art gallery has now become a hub of artists, both young and veterans from across India.

–India News Stream