The Medha Journal

Art by my Grandfather, Late Sri Abani Kanta Lahiri -- An artist, novelist, poet, playwright and healer.

Sri Abani Kanta Lahiri was a student of Calcutta Art College and JJ school of Arts Bombay, India around the year 1930. He was also nominated for a scholarship to Royal Academy of Arts in England, which he could not pursue due to family reasons. He had many talents that included authoring fiction short stories and novels, family drama and historical drama. His Bengali poems were regularly recited in All India Radio. His accredited work included a Bengali play "Swapna bastab" ( Swapna Vaastav --- dream that comes true), beautifully written on Bengal expatriate life. "Swapna bastab" was recognized and play-acted professionally by a leading Bengali newspaper group "Ananda Bazar Patrika".

He was also a philosopher and president of Theosophical society, Kolkata. To add to his credit he was a gifted certified homeopath doctor who cared for people selflessly.

Rina Mustafi's Gallery

Ms Mustafi is born in Kolkata, in the year 1961. Art being always her passion, she graduated from Govt. College of Arts & Crafts (Western Painting) Kolkata, West Bengal India. She had her paintings exhibited at several noted exhibitions in India. She participated in group exhibitions and solo exhibitions. To name a few;
Solo: May 2008 - Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery, Mumbai; 2007 –Academy of Fine Arts, kolkata

Group Exhibitions: 2007 –Annual Exhibition, Lalit Kala Kendra, Kolkata ; 2007 –The Group, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata; 2007 –Annual Exhibition, Kolkata Information Centre, Kolkata, Organized by Govt. of West Bengal; 2006 –Annual Exhibition, Lalit Kala Kendra, Kolkata; 2006 –The Group, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata; 2006 –Annual Exhibition, Birla Academy of Arts & Culture, Kolkata; 2005 –The Group, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata; 2005 –Annual Exhibition, Birla Academy of Arts & Culture, Kolkata; 2004 –Annual Exhibition, Lalit Kala Kendra, Kolkata; 2004 –Annual Exhibition, Birla Academy of Arts & Culture, Kolkata; 2000 –Annual Exhibition, Lalit Kala Kendra, Kolkata; 2000 –Annual Exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata; 2000 –Annual Exhibition, Kolkata Information Centre, Kolkata, Organized by Govt. of West Bengal;1996 –Annual Exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata

Her teacher Niranjan Pradhan had very encouraging words to tell about her; Rina who was my beloved student, is blessed with a very soft heart that finds expression, more often than not, in her demeanor. Though she spent better part of her student life in the midst of much hardship, the man whom she tied her knot with later in her student days happened to be great source of inspiration to her. It is a very common aspect of our society that women have some assigned roles to play in mothering their children as well as in maintaining and nurturing their family. But it is Rina who has, quite ably, demonstrated her individuality setting aside her creative mind from her daily chores to plunge into the world of fine arts with her determined zeal. What is cynosure of all eyes in her paintings is the rich vibrancy of the colour. It’s really difficult to portray the Nature with as much case as one sees in one’s mind’s eye. The way she captures the depth and dimension of the landscape using a thick layer of colour with spatula is simply superb. And thus she has successfully built the foundation of her creativity blending her deep devotion with her valuable insight.

 

I want to express the divine beauty and energy in whatever form possible, if the divine so likes to express through me, that is.  I have been painting since my childhood, but found my real medium with Adobe Photoshop (Version 6.1., if anybody is interested), because there the sum of all color is white, which is a totally different approach. So, I processed my sketches and paintings with it.

I was born in the historic city of Ahmedabad in India. Ever since childhood, the simplicity, elegance, and grace of the people of Gujarat and Rajasthan, the two Western states of India have inspired me. My paintings over the past 13 years have focused on the rich cultural heritage of these two states. From the elegantly dressed royalty to the humble village folk amidst a rustic setting, I try to paint the folklore belonging to the different societies that co-exist in harmony. The composition is simple but more direct, and the bright and vibrant colors are symbolic of the exuberant people. My paintings are a celebration of life through color and form. They try to express the preciousness of life’s ordinary moments, which are usually taken for granted.

Vaidehi has a BCom and MCom in Accountancy and Auditing from Gujarat University. She also has a LLB in Tax Laws. Her paintings have been exhibited and she was invited to design the cover page for the Red Wheelbarrow Literary Magazine. She is a freelance artist specializing in oil on canvas. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband and two beautiful children.

My aim in the creation of the photographs in the spiritual landscape series is to capture a rare intimate conversation with the landscape. Many times I will spend hours in a location before I could listen to the landscape. I find landscapes are most expressive in low light, bad weather conditions and those are the times I find myself busy with my camera trying to capture my conversations. To create these photographs I often revisit the location many times until I am happy with the capture.

I capture the images in color, as I believe, color adds a strong emotional dimension to the landscape. At the same time, color can be overused to the extent that it can ruin the overall statement that the image wants to convey. I approach making a photograph similar to a symphony conductor trying to orchestrate different instruments to create a harmonious piece. In the case of a photograph, these elements are line, form, texture, luminosity, color hue and saturation: a successful photograph, in my opinion, is a perfect fusion of these elements.

Most of the photographs in this series were taken with a 4”x5” large-format camera and printed with UltraChrome pigmented ink on Epson Premium Luster Photo paper. The longevity of these photographs, rated by Wilhelm Imaging Research, is over 70 years under ordinary glass and over 150 years under uv-protected glass. These photographs are available in different sizes ranging from 8”x10” to 40”x50”.

Birds have been a recurring theme in my art over the years. I have enjoyed birdwatching trips in North America, and in the jungles of Mexico, Central America and South America, where I spent many hours observing a diverse array of birds and wildlife in their natural habitats. With this recent set of pastel drawings on board, I build up many layers of color to create a vibrant, shimmering effect that seems to make the birds come to life.

For the painted clay tiles, I use both high and low-fire techniques. With the low fire work, pre-cast clay tiles are painted with color, glazed, and fired to 1945°F. The resulting surfaces are flat and smooth, and colors are vibrant. These tiles are fine for indoors or in mild climates, but may crack if left outdoors during a frost.
With the high-fire work, I create tiles from porcelain or stoneware clay, and carve images such as birds or butterflies into the wet clay. After an initial firing in my kiln, I paint the tiles with color, apply clear glaze, and fire to 2200°F. When fired to this higher temperature, the clay releases all of its water content, shrinks, and will no longer absorb water. These pieces will survive outdoors in harsh winter conditions without cracking. At the higher firing temperatures, the clay itself begins to melt with the glaze and the color. Colors are rich, deep and vibrant, and the shiny surface invites a touch. Part of the beauty of these pieces is the irregular surface, with variable shrinkage and slight warping. It is always a surprise to open the kiln and see the finished pieces, since they take on a life of their own during the final firing.

I have used flowers as a subject for my art for many years. These pastel drawings represent a means for me to sharpen my skill in recording precisely what I observe, similar to a scientist recording observations in a laboratory notebook. The subject is ideally suited to this purpose since the flowers remain in the same position for hours or days without moving, and I can choose from an endless array of colors and forms. These are not meant to be photographic images of the flowers (otherwise I would simply use a camera), but rather a representation of the essence of the subject. The process involves applying layers of pastel colors one on top of the other, starting with hard pastels, then medium pastels, and finishing with buttery-soft pastels. The soft pastels are almost pure pigment, with little binder in them to obscure color. During application of the layers of color, some color from layers below is still visible, while the final layer of soft pastel sits on the surface. Up close, one can observe multiple layers of colors, but as one steps back the layers merge into one smooth surface that looks like a three-dimensional object. I am always a bit surprised as I step back and look at the finished piece since the process of creating it is very intuitive and I cannot recall exactly how it was done.

Theme is Egyptian etruscan art rebirth.
His masters are Mother and Sri Aurobindo

This is my gallery. I intend to upload works of art (that I claim to be art) here. My focus is digital art that I create using a wacom digital tablet and various software tools like Corel Painter Essential, photo shop and GIMP