Actor Manoj Joshi Inaugurated 63rd National Exhibition of Art, See Winners List

63rd National Exhibition of Art (NEA), the national jamboree of visual arts initiated by Lalit Kala Akademi was inaugurated by the famous actor Shri Manoj Joshi in a gala function held at the Kamani Auditorium, Mandi House, New Delhi today. In the inaugural function presided over by the Lalit Kala Akademi Chairman, Prof.V.Nagdas, noted actor, director, producer and screen writer Shri. Chandraprakash Dwivedi was the Guest of Honor and the eminent artist from Mumbai, Shri Vasudeo Kamath was the Special Guest.

The event was graced by presence of various ambassadors namely H.E. Mr. Dambajavyn Ganbold Ambassador of Mongolia, H.E. Naor Gilon Ambassador of Israel, Ms. Reuma Mantzur, Culture Attache, Embassy of Israel, Ms Dr. Mariann ErdÅ‘, Director/Counsellor Culture Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Centre Delhi, H.E. Dr. Ali ACHOUI, Ambassador of Algeria, H.E José María Ridao Domínguez, Ambassador of Spain, Ambassador Kumar Tuhin, DG, ICCR, Dr. Sandhya Purecha, Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akadem, Prof. Kishore k. Basa, DG AS and Dr. Do Thanh Hai, Minister Counsellor Chargé d'affair Embassy of Vietnam.

Twenty National Award Winning artists were felicitated with a shawl, commendation certificate and a purse of Rs. Two Lakhs (Rs.200,000). A beautifully designed, well researched and illustrated catalogue was also released by the dignitaries on the occasion. In his inaugural speech Shri Manoj Joshi expressed his satisfaction for the way that Lalit Kala Akademi was taking the Indian art scene to new heights. “Art is a limitless field. Any expression is art.

When it is expressed through our bodies and dresses, it becomes acting and when it is expressed through other materials and mediums it becomes visual art. Visual art today is the meeting point of various streams of creativity and materials. Contemporary artists always experiment with new mediums and materials.

The latest fad is the AI generated art. Right from our everyday life to the movies, science to healthcare, motor vehicles to life style, the presence of AI is palpable. But one cannot reduce the involvement of the human heart and hands in creativity. I appreciate all the participants and the award winners in the 63rd National Exhibition of Art,” Mr. Joshi said.

While presiding over the function Prof. V. Nagdas, the Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi said that Lalit Kala Akademi is a bold, futuristic and progressive institution working towards the realization of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is one. Shri Modi ji has been highlighting the effects of cultural diplomacy in achieving peace and harmony not only in our country but also in the world. Art is a medium of soft diplomacy.

And through art we in Lalit Kala Akademi want to spread the message of peace and harmony all over the world. “We like to live in the stories of Vincent Van Gogh who had struggled throughout his life financially. But we forget Raja Ravi Varma who lived like a king and did his art. Artistic struggle should not mean struggling financially. We are committed to finding out the young talents and awarding them adequately,” Prof. Nagdas added.

While speaking on the occasion, Shri Chandraprakash Dwivedi recounted his days of struggle as an actor, writer and director. He said that struggle is a part of growing up and the struggle should not be limited to the materialistic struggle. For a real artist the struggle remains throughout his life. He is always on a search for meaning and that is the greatest struggle an artist faced.

Shri Vasudeo Kamath also insisted that perseverance is the key to success as an artist. “Finding one’s own language is a great thing. I have seen so many young artists coming with fresh ideas and new approaches. But some of them fall along the way mainly because there are no opportunities or support systems for them. Lalit Kala Akademi’s National Exhibition is a great platform for artists to prove their mettle and also the national awards boost up their confidence,” Shri Kamath said.

Artists, art loving public, art historians, critics and people from different walks of life attended the inaugural function. Later the program was shifted to the actual place of display, the Rabindra Bhavan Galleries nmely at Lalit Kala Akademi where the dignitaries jointly lit the auspicious flame of a new beginning. The Chairman, artists and the curatorial team of the Akademi gave a gallery tour to the dignitaries.

(The awardees are: Abhipsa Pradhan (Delhi), Akash Biswas (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Anamika Singh (UP), Anas Sultan (UP), Arti Paliwal (New Delhi), Bhaurao Bodade (MP), Chuguli Kumar Sahoo (Odisha), Deepak Kumar (Haryana), Deepak Kumar (UP), Janhavi Khemka (UP), Kiran Anila Sherkhane (Karnataka), Kumar Jigeeshu (New Delhi), Mahendra Pratap Dinkar (New Delhi), Nagesh Balaji Gadekar (Gujarat), Narottam Das (Orissa), Pankaj Kumar Singh (UP), Pawan Kumar (Haryana), Priyoum Talukdar (Assam), Sama Kantha Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) and Somen Debnath (Tripura).)