‘Another Master’: A solo exhibition by Ram Singh Urveti

‘Another Master’ exhibition, featuring more than fifty works by Ram Singh Urveti, in various mediums, including paper and canvas are on display till March 10 at Delhi’s Ojas Art Gallery. One of the senior-most artists from the Pradhan Gond tribe, Urveti started his career in 1991, incorporating his folk traditions in a contemporary and evocative style, and the paintings on display cover more than three decades of his prolific working life.

One of the highlights of the exhibition is Sur aur Taal ki Kahani (The Story of Divine Music), a unique and rare 12 folio-set from 2008-2009, narrating the age-old Gond legend of divine music and how it was brought to earth. In all his works, Urveti’s captivating visuals and intuitive storytelling fuse his perceptions of the modern world with his tribe’s unique symbolism. Rife with the tree-of-life motifs and curved silhouettes, his primitive imagery transcends the canvas, inviting you to closely observe the natural world in all its plenitude.

In his book, Indian Contemporary Art, Herve Perdriolle observes, “With Jangarh Singh Shyam, Ram Singh Urveti is one of the most important figures in contemporary Indian tribal art. Encouraged by Jagdish Swaminathan, he was one of the first to make the transition from ephemeral art to painting on canvas in the early 1990s.”

“I started my journey assisting my mama (maternal uncle), Jangarh Singh Shyam but very soon started making my own works.” said Urveti. “The National Art Award by Lalit Kala Akademi in 1998 was a major breakthrough for me.”

“We are excited to host Urveti’s first solo show in Delhi after his major solo show at Bharat Bhavan in 2017. Also, this show is a culmination of his life’s work and truly throws the spotlight on him as a master of the genre,” said Anubhav Nath, Curatorial Director of Ojas Art.

Where: Ojas Art @ 1AQ, Near Qutub Minar, Mehrauli, Delhi

When: 11 am to 7 pm; Till March 10, 2024