Watch the ‘halo of A’bad’ from Nov 23

Artist Harshil Patel’s works will be exhibited as part of heritage
week celebrations

Watch the ‘halo of A’bad’ from Nov 23

Harmony Siganporia

In a bid to celebrate the wonder that is Ahmedabad – both, the
grandeur of the city that was, and the fast-paced, vibrant, dynamic
metropolis it is turning into – the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
(AMC) has come together with Marvel Art Gallery to showcase
the ‘Halo of Ahmedabad’s Heritage’, an exhibition of paintings
about the city by artist Harshil Patel, as part of their on-going World
Heritage Week celebrations.

The exhibition will run at Marvel Art Gallery from November 23-25,
with a special preview of the collection scheduled for November 22.

“The old city,with its soulful architecture and beautiful symmetry, has
always been a huge part of Harshil’s world, since he was born and
raised there. The AMC was aware of this, and approached us asking
whether we could jointly hold an exhibition of Harshil’s works based
on the city as part of their week-long heritage celebrations,”said director,
Marvel Art Gallery, Dhanvi Shah.

“I was supposed to take up my place at London’s Slade School of Fine
Art this year, but when the AMC and Marvel approached me with this – a
subject very close to my heart – I decided to ask them to defer my admission
by a year. I went to Manek Chowk, Astodiya, Dhal ni Pol and a score of other
places in the city. I first depicted them realistically, and then rendered the same
image in a more contemporary style,” Harshil said.

The mastery this young artist has over the complex spatial elements of depth
and perspective is immediately obvious in his work – his composition is stunning,
in that the way he ‘places’ his forms onto canvas make for a utilisation of space
which is at once ‘complete’ and harmonious. As ever, the scope and aspect of his
paintings is huge: five feet by eight feet, and five feet by ten feet being his chosen
sizes for this collection. If the realistic paintings, with their 15- layers of paint which
create textures giving them an antique look, are staggering in their detail, his more
contemporary renderings abound with a freshness and vitality which is almost electric.

“While working on the realistic canvases, I constantly felt a ‘presence’ alongside me,
suggesting to me how things in this city once were – I like to think it was Ahmed Shah
Badshah, retelling the story of his Ahmedabad, through me.The other series is my
Ahmedabad – the city I know and love best,” adds the artist.

Apart from the paintings, canvas prints, bookmarks, cards, calendars and limited-edition
crockery sets showcasing the artist’s take on the city will also be available at the gallery.