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Rumour has it that a snow leopard, an Asian elephant, and a Royal Bengal tiger have all migrated to South Mumbai this morning. Before you accuse us of orchestrating a wildlife escape, or worse, storytelling under the lingering influence of a long festive weekend, let’s set the record straight. The wild animals have indeed arrived in Nariman Point, but only as muses in Wild Wonders, an exhibition at Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery dedicated to these majestic creatures in the wild.
Batik on canvas by Cuttack-based Sriharsha Sukla“Ever since I took over the gallery as the director late last year, I knew wildlife and nature had to find a place in these halls. With the help of experts like Bittu [Sahgal] uncle and Anish Andheria, I curated my first wildlife show in December,” reveals Pooja Bajaj, director of Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery. When World Wildlife Day arrived on March 3, it sparked the idea to reach out to budding artists this time, she reveals.
The upcoming show features photographers and artists skilled in varied mediums and styles.Acrylic paint on paper by Daniel Luis“Painting wildlife allows me to capture the raw beauty, strength, and spirit of nature. I want to highlight these emotions and how they connect us to the wildlife,” says artist Om Thadkar, whose charcoal artwork captures an elephant’s shiny ivory tusks.
City-based artist Dipti Kumar shares this fascination for the largest land mammal. “They’re magnanimous, imposing and equally fearless. In many ways, they taught me how to stand my ground in the face of challenges,” Kumar remarks.
Mixed media on canvas by Ameya KulkarniFor photographer Rajeev Rai, who has spent years photographing people and their complex emotions, the wild provides an invaluable lesson. “While shooting in the wild, you need to wait and hold for the right moment. It has taught me the value of patience,” he reveals.
Rai will be joined by artist Daniel Luis whose acrylic on paper work will bring to life the ferocious snow leopards, a species classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. On the other hand, Ameya Kulkarni and Vibha Agarwal’s artworks will explore the gentle side of the unforgiving jungle — a big cat playing with its cub and marvelling at a dainty butterfly, respectively.Pooja BajajIt’s hardly a secret that exhibiting your work at a SoBo gallery comes at a price.
Cuttack-based hearing and vocally impaired artist and art teacher Sriharsha Sukla knew it. “When we reached out to him with an invite, he simply said, ‘I’m sorry, but I cannot afford it’. Sukla practises the vibrant art form of Batik, a dyeing technique that uses wax resistant dye,” Bajaj reveals.
A sponsorship from the gallery will ensure Sukla’s work will find admirers in the city.A few passionate enthusiasts might believe that watching these creatures from the comfort of a gallery is a diluted experience — somewhat like watching a video of your favourite band’s performance a day after the concert. But what if the video sparked an interest you never knew you had, or even pushed you to step out the next time an opportunity arose? “Art is merely a medium.
There’s a deeper message in there. When school children stop by to reflect in front of these artworks, or the average Mumbaikar revisits his relationship with the city’s wildlife through these frames, that’s when my vision comes to fruition,” Bajaj signs off. On Today, 5 pm (preview); March 18 to 22, 11 am to 7 pm At Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery, Bajaj Bhavan, Nariman Point.
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