A look into Punjab’s rich past through paintings

CHANDIGARH, Oct 12: The Bank of Punjab, which is promoting art here what with its own art gallery on the anvil, is back with its collecti...

CHANDIGARH, Oct 12: The Bank of Punjab, which is promoting art here what with its own art gallery on the anvil, is back with its collection of paintings on the theme of Punjab’s heritage.

The exhibits on display at the Punjab Kala Bhawan are the outcome of the second contest organised by the bank.

This time the focus is on forts, palaces and “havelis” of Punjab. The works were judged by a team of eminent personalities from the art realm like Dr B. N. Goswamy,

Arpana Caur and Prem Singh. But, more than the two first prize winners, who have won Rs 20,000 each, it was some of the other canvases that lured one due to their intricacy and realistic romanticism.

Story continues below this ad

Shimla-based Him Kumar Chatterjee’s “Viceregal Lodge” is a true replica indeed but lacks genuinety. It is in the second prize-winner, a resident of Jammu, Suman Gupta’s untitled piece that life throbs as he juxtaposes our rich cultural past and the squalid present. Through Gurpreet Singh Preet’s canvas, which won him Rs 5,000, we not only see visual imagery but a message on saving our heritage accompanied with a dig at people’s habit of scribbling on precious walls.

Ravinder Sharma rightly deserved the award of Rs 2,500. He could have been given a better prize though as his fort, in the eerie light crafted out of ink dropping, stands as a citadel of intrigue. Among the others, it is Chandigarh’s Bheem Malhotra who stands out due to the architectural quality of the work and exactness of depiction shown in a typical “gali” sandwiched among crumpling edifices. Nevertheless, the paintings were a visual treat as they provided a ride back into the rich past of Punjab.