Special Exhibition Titled Jamini Roy (1887 – 1972): Journey to the Roots Inaugurated

Union Minister for Culture Chandresh Kumari Katoch inaugurated a special exhibition titled Jamini Roy (1887 – 1972): Journey to the Roots on 24 June 2013. The special exhibition is meant to celebrate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Jamini Roy who was an eminent artist.

The exhibition would be open for public display at National Gallery of Modern Art till August 2013 everyday from Tuesday to Sunday except on Public Holidays from 10 am to 5 pm.

About Jamini Roy (1887 – 1972): Journey to the Roots Exhibition

• The special exhibition showcases approximately 200 artworks of Jamini Roy. These artworks include sketches, drawings, paintings and sculptures from the distinguished collection of National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA).
• Collection of the artworks of Jamini Roy started in 1954 when NGMA was built and was eventually built up over the time duration of three decades.
• In order to enhance a few sections of this exhibition, NGMA also borrowed works from the personal collection of Abhishek Poddar, Bengaluru and A. Ramachandaran, New Delhi.
• The special exhibition mounts the paintings as well as drawings of Jamini Roy, apart from the explanatory wall texts as well as photographs of this artist.
• The display at the exhibition is organised thematically. The major themes include drawings and sketches, sculptures, epics, myths and folk cults, copies of European Masters, landscapes, portraits, Suite of paintings featuring Santals, calligraphic brush paintings, Krishna-leela, Life of Christ, birds and beasts, mother and child as well as village community.

Who was Jamini Roy?

• Jamini Roy was an eminent artist whose primary appeal was in popular imagination because of simple, yet strong and vibrant colours.
• The paintings of the village folk, mythological heroes, birds, animals and primarily those of women were executed in order to make them appear lively.
• The paintings of Jamini Roy have simple forms and make use of swift and bold strokes of brush, along with the vivid and bright colours.
• He popularised simple folk idioms as well as themes in the paintings which were derived from his native village only, i.e., from Beliatore.
• In the year 1976, the Government of India had declared the artworks of Jamini Roy as National Treasure. Apart from this, works of seven other important artists were declared as the National Treasure.