Artes Mundi Award for NS Harsha
Posted by artnavigator on June 1, 2008
NS Harsha stays away from the limelight of the art world. Much less known compared to his contemporaries like Devajyoti Ray, Chintan Upadhyay or Bose Krishnamachari, Harsha is a reclusive artist who is identified with the new breed of urban contemporaries only through his style which bears closer resemblance to the newer post-liberalization artists than the elders in the Indian art world.
Harsha’s work spans from painting to installation to community projects—and are often narratives of mass activity. He uses the tradition of miniature paintings with popular and everyday images of comics and folk art.
The artist’s entry into the world of art was rather strange. He had joined art school not by choice but rather by circumstances. But while doing his masters in fine arts at MS University, Baroda he came in touch with such celebrated veterans like Bhupen Khakhar, Gulammohammed Sheikh and Nilima Sheikh, who left a lasting impression on him. Like Bhupen Khakhar, harsha too brings story telling in his art. But in terms of style, he is closer to contemporaries like Shibu Natesan and Subodh Gupta. Like these contemporaries, he also uses installations in large numbers.
This year is particularly specialk for Harsha as he wins this time the prestigious Artes Mundi Award and then his painting titled ” Mass Marriage” attracted a phenomenal bid of $6.4 million at an auction organised by Christie’s at Honkong. Harsha is probably the only artist from Karnataka to have reached this height in recent years. Those who have missed his previous exhibitions can catch him up at his solo exhibition at Maison Hermès in Tokyo in June. Also on the cards is a show at Mumbai’s Sakshi Gallery and a couple of group shows in Spain and Tokyo.
