CONFLUENCE 23: An art exhibition by Welham alumni

Welham Old Boys Society (WOBS) is all set to celebrate its 40th year of inception by organising a unique eight-day creative programme that will bring together creative individuals from various disciplines and backgrounds.

The programme will showcase artworks by school alumni and other creative practitioners in a group art exhibition named ‘CONFLUENCE 23’ at The Stainless Gallery, Mira Corporate Suites, Mathura Road, New Delhi. The exhibition will be open to public from April 2 to 8, 2023, from 11 am to 7 pm, and the entry will be free.

The participants of this exhibition are professional artists, photographers, architects, interior designers, product designers, graphic designers, an educationalist, an art therapist, a dancer, and a practicing doctor. The works include those of renowned names like the late Arnab Chaudhuri, an animation film-maker, senior architect Mukul Goyal, fashion designer Abhishek Gupta, graphic designer Sudeep Chaudhuri, Bangkok-based progressive dancer artist Sejal Surendra Sood, Leh Ladakh based photographer Hajra Ahmad, landscape specialist and photographer Kunal Batra, and artist Vibhor Sogani.

Rohit Jaiswal, President of WOBS told Patriot, “The art exhibition that we are organising is an effort to promote our alumni, who are in the field of creative pursuits like art and other things. The event will be based on the creative works of our alumni, and those of other institutions like Welham Girls’ School, Doon School, Lawrence School, and Delhi College. Apart from this, we will also be displaying works of other prominent creative professionals.”

Explaining the format of the event, Jaiswal said, “The exhibition will be taking place over eight days, and the grand opening will be on the evening of April 1. The attendance for the opening will be on invitation. The exhibition will be open for the public from April 2.”

Jaiswal stated that in addition to their ongoing activities, they are arranging other events, such as a panel discussion on a specific topic featuring Abhinandan Sekhri of Newslaundry on April 3.

He also mentioned that they have some alumni film-makers whose short films have won national awards and are eligible for the Oscars.

Jaiswal added, “The artwork that will be displayed is of prominent and popular artists. The basic idea behind this is to promote the creative pursuits of our alumni that involve artists, photographers, fashion designers, architects, interior designers, film-makers, and educationalists.”

“This is the first time, an event like this will take place,” Jaiswal said.

An artist from Bihar, Divyam Raghunath, who will be participating in the exhibition, told Patriot, “I am an alumnus of Welham Boys’ School, Dehradun, and I pursued my Bachelors in Fine Arts from Lasalle College of Arts, Singapore. Following my graduation, I returned to India and began working as an art director for Leo Burnett, an advertising agency.”

“The artwork that I will be presenting at the exhibition is about India and its continental beauties, and outlook. I click photographs of artificial art pictures wherever I travel, within and outside India. I use them as a canvas to paint, to show how I imagine them to be. And that is the idea of what I will be presenting at the event,” Raghunath said.

“It’s a breath-taking opportunity because I never thought of working with our group of alumni from the school. It is an amazing feeling to stay connected after so many years and I cherish this brotherhood and I am very thankful to the Welham fraternity for keeping us involved,” he said.

Hajra Ahmad, a photographer based in Ladakh, expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming exhibition and stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase my photographs, including those from my native region. It’s a wonderful platform for artists like myself to share our work and engage with a broader audience.”

Hajra emphasised the importance of such exhibitions for emerging artists.

Senior architect Mukul Goyal said that he began his artistic journey at a young age, participating in art school since he was in the third grade.

“I will be showcasing several sketches at this event to give my clients a glimpse of what their projects will look like,” Goyal stated.

He expressed that this event provides a wonderful opportunity for networking and reconnecting with former classmates.

“It’s a great get-together for us, allowing us to interact with people and catch up with old friends,” he added.

Apart from the exhibition, the eight-day programme will also include talks, panel discussions, and film screenings. The programme schedule includes talks on a variety of topics like “True Crime – OTT’s New Success Mantra – Where News & Entertainment Meet”, “Unfiltered Emotions”, “Aesthetics & Processes”, and “Cultural Relevance through Interior Design”, among others.

The programme will also include a film screening of “SONSI & SHERA” by Vikas Kumar and Sharib Khan.

When: 11 am – 7pm; April 2 to 8

Where: The Stainless Gallery, Mira Corporate Suites, Mathura Road, New Delhi