Kapil Mani Dixit's R&B tributes to the great artists
UJJWALA MAHARJAN
KATHMANDU, May 13: Famous works of great western painters like Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Salvador Dali, to name a few, become Nepali artist Kapil Mani Dixit’s source of improvisation for his new exhibition. Back from his stay in the US, his forthcoming exhibition entitled “Tribute to the Great Artists” will be Dixit’s first solo exhibition in Nepal after 11 years.
Red and black hues dominate all of his 22 acrylic on board paintings.
“The colors were a deliberate choice. Black has been my favorite color to work with, and red, here, is the symbol of celebration, worship and tribute,” says Dixit.
The paintings improvise on the works of 21 different artists; the works of his favorite artist Jackson Pollock coming in twice. Dixit, who has repeatedly worked with nude figures in his paintings, incorporates them in this series as well.
While the figures, drawn mostly in white, seem out of place in most paintings, in some selected works, the artist has successfully blended the otherwise foreign elements in the classic works of art.
Working in his studio that he has named “Apartment 8” in remembrance of his hardworking days in the U.S., Dixit says it took him some eight months to complete the series.
“It definitely was a challenge to go into this theme but I wanted to do something new,” puts in Dixit, flipping through the pages of his art book, “I spent a lot of time choosing my favorite artworks and just thinking how I could incorporate the figures into these paintings and sculptures.”
Having read about and seen some of the paintings during his art classes in the U.S., Dixit says the series connected with him even more. With his love for figurative arts, Dixit does not hesitate to present nude art in the still-reserved Nepali society.
A nude woman lying down on the ground in the painting, which is an improvisation on a murky painting, fits in quite well with the overall gloomy feel of it. Dixit also boldly ventures into improvising on the Mona Lisa painting, installations of Marcel Duchamp’s, and sculpture artwork like Michelangelo’s David.
The artist here runs a risk on making his art seem like a distortion.
“You can’t compare with the great artists, and balancing the elements of my style into their artworks was very hard,” states Dixit, who seems to be fully aware of the risks he is taking, “However, it’s a tribute from my side and in my style. I also wanted the Nepali audience to have a fresh take on art; away from the repetitive traditional paintings of temples and mountains.”
Dixit’s “Tribute to the Great Artists” opens at 5 pm on Friday, May 14 at Yala Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur. The artist has requested the visitors, if possible, to come to the opening in red and/or black attire to become a part of the whole event. The exhibition will run through till May 23.
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Kapil Mani Dixit's R&B Tributes To The Great Artists
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