
Modepu, a chronicle of State's visual art movement, bags Karnataka Lalithakala Academy award
A release here said the book captures the rich and nuanced history of coastal Karnataka's visual art movement with a special focus on the contributions of artists and pioneers of the past, whose legacies have often remained overlooked.
The book documents the lives and works of 34 artists, including Pavanje Gopalakrishnaiah, N.G. Pavanje, Shivarama Karanth, K.K. Hebbar, L.K. Shevgoor, B.G. Mohammad, L.P. Anchan, P.P. Karanth, G.S. Shenoy, Ramadas Adyanthaya, Mohan Sona, among others.
Curatorial initiative
The book is the culmination of a major curatorial initiative launched in November 2022 by Art Kanara Trust and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) Mangaluru Chapter, in collaboration with the N.G. Pavanje Chair for Visual Arts of Mangalore University.
The initiative featured exhibitions of artworks and archival material by 34 artists, held at the Kodialguthu Center for Art and Culture in Mangaluru and Drishti Art Gallery in Udupi with the support of the Artists' Forum.
A 243-page volume, researched and authored by artist Janardhan Havanje, was published in February 2023 with foreword by art critic H.A. Anil Kumar. Mr. Kumar emphasised the significance of documenting regional art histories as meaningful alternatives to dominant mainstream narratives.
The research, structure, design and editing for Modepu were led by art historian Nemiraj Shetty and artist Rajendra Kedige, trustees of Art Kanara Trust, who served as co-editors.
Harish Kodialbail and Reshma S. Shetty organised the exhibitions and coordinated the publication. Intach convener and Trust president Subhash Chandra Basu provided guidance and valuable feedback throughout the publication process. Shenoy Art Foundation, Bengaluru, supported the publication.
The award would officially be presented during a felicitation programme on Friday at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bengaluru.
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