Ashok Bhowmick's Major Retrospective Unfurls at Bikaner House

‘Liminal Line: Ashok Bhowmick’s Artistic Legacy’, a retrospective of the lifetime’s work by veteran New Delhi-based artist opened at the sprawling CCA Gallery at Bikaner House on October 4, Saturday, to a stupendous reception. The retrospective, presented by Dhoomimal Gallery, is one of the largest ever exhibitions of the artist’s works and saw the city’s connoisseurs and art lovers attending it in strength.

The exhibition, curated by fellow artist Rajan Shripad Fulari, features approximately 150 works by the artist from the past six decades, including both paintings and sculptures. While one sees a distinct evolution in the artist’s style over the decades, a thing that remains constant throughout is his mastery over cross-hatching, a technique that Bhowmick owns like nobody else; it’s not a surprise that he is considered one of the strongest practitioners of cross-hatching in contemporary times.

Throwing open the exhibition to public, Uday Jain, director of Dhoomimal Gallery, said, “It is indeed a monumental experience to see Ashok ji’s works all at one place because he is one of the most low-profile artists of our times, yet his work speaks strongly about his art.” The exhibition was launched in the presence of gallery matriarch Uma Ravi Jain; Sunaina Jain; Vice Chancellor of the World University of Design, Dr Sanjay Gupta, and cultural critic Johny ML.

The exhibition remains on view at Bikaner House till October 15, after which it will move to Dhoomimal Gallery in Connaught Place. Before it winds up at Bikaner House, the exhibition will feature a Masterclass, titled ‘How to See a Painting’ with Johny ML and Ashok Bhowmick on October 9; a conversation on Bhowmick’s practice ‘Art and the Time of Ashok Bhowmick’ between Uday Jain, Johny ML, Vinod Bhardwaj and Rajan Shirpad Fulari on October 11; and the release of the book on Bhowmick’s art, titled ‘Soul of the World’ and written by Johny ML, on October 14.