Life In The Deep With Two Artists

Text by Huzan Tata. All images courtesy of Jhaveri Contemporary.

The exhibition juxtaposes with one another, the canvases of K Ramanujam and Kaushik Chakravartty, who created fantastical worlds through their art

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An interest in colour, the animal world, and themes of fantasy was what these two artists had in common. A dual show featuring the works of late artists K Ramanujam and Kaushik Chakravartty brings together their works on a single platform. Each of them broke norms and approached art-making in an unconventional way, which can be seen in their creations. As the note for the show says, ‘despite obstacles (and in part because of them), both artists succeeded in creating unique and enduring art—a testament to resilience as well as survival’.

Artist Profiles

K Ramanujam was born in Chennai and was famous for his line drawings in black and white. Inspired by pop iconography, he was later known as a Cholamandal artist due to his stay at the Cholamandal Art Village. The artist tragically passed away in 1973 in the city of his birth.

Kaushik Chakravartty graduated from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kolkata, and has trained under reputed artist, the late K G Subramanyan. His works combined Asian traditions with American techniques. Chakravartty died in a car crash in Tanzania in 1975.

Life in the Deep is on display at Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai (2 Krishna Niwas, 58A, Walkeshwar Road) until October 22, 2016