Ajanta Caves arrive in Amdavad with the massive canvases of artist Pisurwo Suralkar

This artist has brought his rendition of the cave paintings of Ajanta to the famous ‘cave’ of Ahmedabad – Amdavad ni Gufa. Brought by invitation of Anil Relia, this is an exhibition of  mammoth canvases, abstract female forms and laser light paintings.  

The Amdavad Ni Gufa is a picturesque marriage between art and architecture. When the gallery was created by architect BV Doshi and artist MF Hussain in 1995, the ‘cave’ inspired thousands of young minds to create innovative designs. On September 25th, a Hussain admirer, artist Pisurwo Suralkar, decided to bring his works inspired by paintings in the Ajanta caves to Ahmedabad for his exclusive solo show – Ajanta Gufa to Amdavad Ni Gufa at the Herwitz Art Gallery.

Suralkar was invited to present his art by Ahmedabad’s leading art entrepreneur Anil Relia. He brought 115 works to Ahmedabad, all of which are based on the subject of surreal female forms and the ancient cave paintings of Ajanta. The mediums that Suralkar has utilised to portray his subjects include acrylic on paper as well as on textile. Suralkar has also exhibited two cubical installations with Ajanta figures within the Gufa itself. Suralkar has arranged a rotating laser light in the centre of each installation, which emits a reflection of abstract line drawings. These, according to him, depict an abstract narrative about the journey of life.

Suralkar said, “My abstracts are inspirations from Hussain as well as Picasso.” Mumbai-based curator Sumesh Sharma, who was accompanying Suralkar during the exhibition, expressed, “The beauty of Pisurwo’s art is freedom. He is not restricted to a single language. His art has no inception or culmination. It is always a refreshing experience to watch his works.”

As the curator of his own show, artist Pisurwo Suralkar has also exhibited portions of his life journey from 2002 to 2018 in this show, including the struggling times when he worked as an animator right after receiving his Bachelors of Fine Arts from Mumbai.

The main attraction of this show is a large painting made on Madarpat fabric which captures the artistic essence of the city. It shows a portrait of MF Hussain, impressions of Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, the Pols and the Kitli culture of Ahmedabad. Suralkar made the massive artwork on the inaugural day of the exhibition.

Explore the cave art of Pisurwo Suralkar until Sunday, September 30, between 04:00 PM to 08:00 PM at Herwitz Art Gallery next to the Gufa.