Exhibitions

Nehru Gallery London is showcasing "The Great Indian Desert" exhibiting the artworks of Kiran Soni Gupta. The show was inaugurated by Hon'ble Lord Swraj Paul on 20th July 2010 at 6 pm amidst a large gathering of art lovers including many renowned artists A large number of art lovers too were present. Kiran took the opportunity to share her artistic inspirations and her experiences in the artistic ventures. Present on the occasion was also Ms Anjali a great promoter of Indian arts and Baroness Sheila. The exhibit "The Great Indian Desert" showcases 94 of her artworks executed in different styles and themes. She also launched art portfolio "God's Finest Creation" based on the conviction that God is the greatest artist and a woman is his best creation. The august gathering was welcomed by Ms Monica Kapil, the director of the Nehru Centre. She said that Indian art has played a vivacious role in enriching the cultures. Globally Indian art has made its mark. Lord Swraj Paul was full of appreciation and admired the courage and grit of the artist to combine deftly the art and administration. Applauding her achievements he mentioned that empathy and sensitivity are the hallmarks of any good administrator which are indeed the cornerstone of creative arts.

She also presented her book" Kiran's Art Renderings" brought out by Times of India. The book is wonderful collection of exquisite artworks of Kiran Soni Gupta. Kiran seems to have permanently etched a place for artwork in the world of art.

Combining art and administration is difficult which Kiran seems to have accomplished in her daily life. Sensitivity and empathy which lies at the core of effective public service are also the greatest assets for any creative artist. Kiran seems to be a complete departure from the stereotype bureaucrat keeping her creativity and soul alive through her childhood interest which is now fully blossomed into a passion and obsession. The paintings captivate the essence of life in its full diversity..

The art exhibit will be on display at from 30th July 2010 daily from 11am to 7 pm.

Kiran Soni Gupta is an artist, writer and an activist administrator. She is presently Divisional Commissioner, Jaipur in Rajasthan. After joining the Indian Administrative Service in 1985 she has held various distinguished assignments in the Government of India, Kerala & Rajasthan. Kiran has studied public policy and development at the best schools, Maxwell Syracuse and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where she was a Mason Fellow in 2005-06. Her concerns about various contemporary issues have been expressed regularly in her writings in many national/ international newspapers/journals.

It is however through the brush and paint that Kiran's creativity finds best illustration. Her works reflect not only her conviction on issues of women, children, poverty, development and environment, but also her sensitivity, keen observation, and also, an abounding faith in humanity.

From sketches, pen and ink works to mixed media, Kiran has given new dimensions to art forms, both traditional and modern. Creativity with colors and experimentation has given her work depth as well as impact. Diverse assignments have provided her opportunities to travel and also, to stay with amidst nature as different as the tropical forests and beaches of Kerala and the desert scrublands of Rajasthan. This exposure finds expression in her landscapes in oil, water colors and also mixed media. The iconic influence of the spirituality of her surroundings is seen in many of her paintings in the Tanjore style.

Kiran's association with well known artists & masters has led her to some of her best etchings, wood cuts, linocuts, lithography & calligraphies. Of late she has produced a series of more than three dozen works titled the 'Harmony' reflecting various forms of the relationships between man his environment. She organized the "Kala Kumb" through community support in March 2003 that attracted a congregation of 150 artists from all over the country. Her works have been exhibited at different national/international events more recently at California, Boston, New York, Cambridge, Syracuse, Toronto, Ottawa Chicago, London, Iran and Srilanka. At home she has exhibited in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Ludhiana and at the International Roerich Memorial Trust, Naggar at Kullu. Her paintings on the "Famine" depicting its impact on women and children in India, won her a National Award. Another painting the "Matters of Heart" was commended in the All India Fine Arts Exhibition. She was also a visiting artist at the East West Centre, Hawaii. Her artworks auctions in Cambridge for raising charity for children food and education have helped her in realizing her vision of art for social cause. She also won the Valparaiso Foundation Fellowship, Mojacar, Spain in 2007.She has been honored with Kala Shiromani Award in 2008. She also just completed the coveted art residency at Centrum ( US) and participated in the World Art Expo 2009.

Last year, Times of India brought out a book "Beyond Strokes" and this year "Kiran's Art Renderings" based on her selected artworks. In an interview to Times of India, she acknowledges that the primacy of life over art is widely attested. Visual art enables one to transform the spaces in which they exist, by transferring them into spaces where it is possible to do things and not merely to contemplate. Once the visual craftsmanship is accessed by special modes of perception and understanding, the question is how we can return to the world of real things with knowledge about them gained from our experience within the art world. Visual perception is a process during which we obtain 'inputs' from environment in the form of retinal stimulation, and biologically speaking, its function is to provide us with information about environment. Visual experience along with background beliefs must ensure the truth of what we claim to know. It may well be things are not as we perceive them to be. Once this distance collapses, art becomes a part of life. Art educates emotions giving us knowledge of ourselves. Art constructs our inner self enhancing our sensibilities. This human existence at a higher level is most aspired. The combination of verbal and visual craftsmanship assures a person the higher levels of creativity, sensitivity and sensibility. This could be used best to spread humanity.

She believes that man's soul is the architect of history and that art is the manifestation of man's soul & reflection of human identity. Art is unbounded and recognizes no constraints. Her recent artworks auctions in Cambridge for raising charity for children's food and education have helped her in realizing her vision of art for social causes. In modern times, art is playing a dominant role in bringing about social change transcending borders and minds. Art is the domain of the dialogue between civilizations and cultures; it can speak in a loud and penetrating voice. Art is most often seen as pleasing the eye - creating beauty. Yet the idea of beauty, like that of truth, is most challenging in the present day. If something moves you to an understanding, somehow unreachable for you, by the common paths of words and reason, it's Art for you. Art is not for the sake of anything.. each art work in its own right depicts the image of the soul of the artist and the society at large.

Her affair to dabble with art has enabled her to understand humanity in its entire perspective in a better way and to draw a positive orientation for political and social change. Her passion for art supplements her to understand various administrative issues or problems in their entirety and apply herself to them with a wholesome approach. Similarly, her administrative experience is well reflected in her art creations. Her sensitivity towards the environment and people has made her a favorite. This has helped in grooming her as a human being and an outstanding administrator. She says, "My encounters with diverse human situations have always been a source of inspiration for art. Symbiotically, after working on a piece of art I have settled down for work with a renewed enthusiasm and new perspectives. Finding humane solutions to versatile human problems is the essence. I call it 'Social Entrepreneurship' for which creativity is the driving force.

For her the truth rings in words of Paul Klee, "A single day is enough to make us a little larger or, another time, a little smaller'.