You are cordially invited to the Art Exhibition titled “Broadening the Canvas – Celebrating Blemishes” organized by the team of Kolkata Rainbow Pride Festival (KRPF).
Theme : Gender & Sexuality.
Venue : ICCR,Ho Chi Minh Sarani , near to US Consulate, Kolkata.
Inauguration : 9th June (Saturday) at 5 PM.
From 10th to 14th June the timing will be from 2 PM to 8 PM.
(No pass required.)
Let the Festival be more bright and colorful with your gracious presence.
Broadening the Canvas – Celebrating Blemishes
As the Nation stands witness to one of the most fierce debates ever on alternate sexuality and decriminalisation of Homosexual love among consenting adults, the Supreme Court of India asked the opponents of same sex love the reasons why they feel homosexuality should be a criminal offence. After hearing through their arguments the Apex Court announced to these opposing heads of Indian society ‘You have to broaden the canvas’. Along the lines of that historic statement by the Court, we, at Kolkata Rainbow Pride Festival, want the artists of India to do the same, to broaden their canvas. Hence, the title of the art exhibition could not be any more poignant.
It is a ripe time to voice our concerns and rebellion against the exclusion and the all pervasive myopia of such controlling oppressors. It is time every thoughtful artist gets a chance to express and display their understanding of sexuality and gender identity in their true colours of the entire vivid spectrum, without the fear of censorship that takes root in the age-old thought process of epitomising heterosexuality as the one and only accepted colour in the spectrum. It is time that we push through the boundaries and thwart the attempts at denigrating any other form of sexuality or gender identity that deviates away from this singularly coloured path as immoral.
The Delhi High Court reading down of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code has undoubtedly opened up new horizons. At the same time, along with the gay and lesbian movements, one cannot downplay the impact of feminism in helping us question the normative notion of gender and body, and challenging the patriarchal heterosexual framework. The exhibition attempts to recognise the validity and hence, encompass the myriad hues of sexuality and gender in its rubric.
The present times have seen the emergence of a young generation of artists, working with new found freedom and a creative zen for expressing body, sexuality and gender. That is what ‘Broadening the Canvas’ wishes to explore and express.
List of Participating artists:
1. Anuradha Upadhaya
2. Balbir Krishan
3. Deepak Tandon
4. Jayna Mistry
5. Jose Abad
6. Mandakini Devi
7. Manmeet Devgun
8. Moumita Shaw
9. Paribartan Mohanty
10. Prakash kishore
11. RudraKishore Mandal
12. Suchismita Ukil
13. Syed Taufik Riaz
14. Tapati choudhury
15. Vidisha Saini
The presence of our honorable guests – Sri Chapal Bhaduri, Sri Sudarshan Chakravorty and few more will grace the occasion.
With Warm Regards,
KRPF Team
