The Bombay Art Society’s 128 th All India Annual Art Exhibition
The Bombay Art Society’s 128 th All India annual Art Exhibition was held from 25
February to 02 March 2020 at Jehangir Art Gallery.
The Bombay Art Society (BAS), founded in 1888, one of the oldest non-profit art
institutions in the Asian subcontinent promoting visual arts for 132 years. The BAS
annual art exhibition started in 1889, the only art exhibition in India held continuously for
132 years except for few years, is considered as the talent hunt in the country. The
select 250 artworks displayed in the exhibition were hand-picked from total 2000 entries
received from all over India through highly refined selection process involving art
experts at every stage of selection are presented in this exhibition.
The inauguration was held at Jahangir Art Gallery at the hand of Shri Sharad Pawar,
MP & President, Nationalist Congress Party, Mrs. Urmila Kanoria, Chairperson, Kanoria
Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad and Shri Uttam Pacharne, Eminent sculptor and Chairman,
Lalit Kala Akadami.
The Bombay art society has started Roopdhar Life time samman in the field of visual art
since last Fifteen years. This year we are felicitating one of the great artists and revered
art teacher Prof. Kashinath Salve with Roopdhar life time achievement award which
carries citation and one Lakh rupees cash as a token of love. The Roopadhar life time
achievement award will be conferred on Prof. Kashinath Salve on 25 Feb 2020 at the
time of inauguration of the annual art exhibition.
Tejaswini Sonavane’s artworks highlighting the plight of animals vis-a-vis water scarcity
in rural India fetched her Bendre-Husain scholarship whereas Siddharth Shingade’s
mixed media and acrylic works on canvas depicting village folks in muted colours with
textures and details got him Lalibhai Bharamadas Bhambhani scholarship.The perfect
synchronization of geometric forms with contemporary elements creating perfect fusion
of visual arts elements in Dhruti Mahajan’s work attracted the judges attention, making
her winner of this year’s Governer’s Award and gold medal. The artworks of Akshay
Lushte, Kiran Shigvan, Swapnil Tari, Mamata Shingade, Rushikesh Masurkar and
Swapnil Kumbhar submitted for the exhibition outshine and own them various awards
which were presented on 25 Feb 2020 at Jehangir Art Gallery.
The all India annual art exhibition has been the important art event on the calendar of
visual arts events in country since its beginning in 1888; today it has assumed the form
of mega art event for the artists community in the western parts of India…..not only
western parts of India but it is an important event for artists in eastern and southern
parts of India as The Bombay Art Society receives exhibition entries as far away as
Delhi, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala from many years.
This year, 51 awards to the artists in the categories like paintings, sculptures, graphics,
photography along with Bendre-Husain scholarship and Lalibai Dharamdas Bhambhani
scholarship are presented to the young artists.
Bombay Art Society’s scholarships & awards have been great inspiration in the
formative years of today’s many master painters like J. P. Ganguly, Ravi Shankar
Rawal, H. Majumdar, Amrita Sher-Gil, S. L. Haldankar, K. K Hebbar, N. S.Bendre, Badri
Narayan, A. A. Almelkar, S. H. Raza, K. H. Ara, Mohan Samant, Jatin Das, Prabhakar
Kolte and many other younger established names. The art journey of many Indian
artists of renown has at some time or the other benefited from the munificence and
magnificence of the Bombay Art Society’s past.
The Bombay Art Society(BAS) was granted a piece land by the Maharashtra State
Government and a huge symbol of architectural grandiose stands today on this 10,000
Sq. feet area at Bandra Reclamation, opp Hotel Rangsharada. The Art complex housing
three art galleries, an amphitheater, the art-books Library is a significant addition to the
Mumbai’s art and cultural infrastructure, providing artists and art enthusiasts with much
needed space for art exhibitions, art residencies, film screenings, live demonstrations,
presentations, lectures, workshops, educational activities etc in Mumbai.
