Spending time at Delhi Art Gallery…

Finally, there’s another book shop on art & paintings that needs no introduction to any art lover, and that is the Delhi Art Gallery (DAG). They have offerings for book lovers as well, which I discovered in conversation with Kishore Singh, head exhibitions and publications, DAG. The range of publications commissioned and produced by DAG is astounding. For years this gallery has been at the forefront of producing scholarly publications especially on modern Indian artists.

The long list of publications include Manifestations V Maqbool Fida Husain; Krishnaji Howlaji Ara, Sadanand Krishnaji Bakre, Hari Ambadas gade, Francis Newton Souza, Syed Haider Raza, Continuum and Made in India; Manifestations IV, Wings of desire, Ambadas, Frame Figue Field, Haren Das, The Drifting Horizon, Jyoti Bhatt, Vishwanadhan, Still Life, The Naked Line, Pai in Paris, Alchemy of Chance; Kanchan – The Story So Far and After the Fall – The Life and Times of Rabin Mondal; Manifestations III, Art Moves; Manifestations II, Manifestations, Poetry and Patriotic Fervor, Mindscapes, The Demonic Line, Changing Images, Face Off 1900-1980’s and Edge of the Century.

On visiting DAG, Kishore presented me with ‘Manifestations V’ – 20th Century Indian Art. It includes works that cut across histories and geographies, mediums and materials, to represent a slice of the best in Indian modern art. It contains some massive-sized canvases as well as sculptures. The first edition of ‘Manifestations V’ was printed in April 2011. This 213-page book is a delight for art lovers across the world. There is a soulful description of all the artworks by well-known art critics.

“The art lovers who visit our exhibitions love to buy these publications from us. They take home these books as memorabilia,” he concluded.

A picturesque Hauz Khas Village indeed is a hot-spot for art lovers and readers alike…who love to explore, read and feel the richness of our traditions and the wealth of knowledge these books provide.