New Show of Devajyoti Ray

After a long hiatus, Devajyoti Ray held an exhibition of his recent works at Mumbai’s Jehangir Art Gallery. The exhibition curiously titled “A Colourful Arena …..in the midst of heat” was presented by upcoming New Delhi based gallery called Sudharts. As the name suggests, the exhibition was a riot of colours as is the hallmark of Ray’s works. But the title suggesting “in the midst of heat” had been quite ironic, now that Mumbai is washed everyday by tumultous showers.  

The exhibition had a total of 29 paintings, depicting as usual scenes from everyday life. But the colour treatment in Ray’s original style of Pseudorealism had achieved an even higher dimension this time. As like always the exhibition had attracted a huge number of visitors, mostly students of art colleges.  Pseudorealism is an original genre in Indian art which has in recent past created a lot of interest among the Europeans.

Ray had earlier held exhibitions in Europe and USA and his exhibitions in Arizona had also been particularly very successful. He can also boast of his painting on Che Guevara which has been displayed at the prestigious Cuban Museum of Fine Arts at Havana, the only one from India. 

This year too most of the buyers of Ray’s works had been from European countries of Norway, Germany and France. The amalgamation of bright flat colours, a feature of most of contemporary European Art and the use of purely Indian subjects is probably what these buyers like the most. Outside regular art auctions of Indian art organised by Indian art houses, Ray is probably one of those few artists who commands some respect among European buyers and can cause sale of art works on their own.  

What is Ray upto next. ”Well an exhibition in Dubai” says Ray. “People of Dubai are showing interest in my work. I am planning for a show at Dubai sometime during the next half of the year” We wish him all the success once again.