New Delhi, Apr 13: Australia is set to get a fresh peek at India’s visual art heritage associated with the Ramayana, as National Museum (NM) here is lending 101 miniature paintings on the celebrated epic for their exhibition in the largest art museum Down Under.
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra will next month receive NM’s set of Rama-Katha collection that features varied-style miniature paintings done between the 17th and 19th centuries. Pooled in from India’s northern, central and eastern territories, the grand body of artwork will be on display in the 1967-founded NGA for three months from May 22.
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| Australia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Julie Bishop Bishop meets India's Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharma, in New Delhi today, to formally announce the opening of a three-month Rama-Katha exhibition at National Gallery of Australia in Canberra from May 22. |
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, while announcing this formally here today amid a meeting with India’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Dr Mahesh Sharma, stressed the need for collaborative efforts between nations to promote heritage.
“We must be undertaking more such endeavours,” added the minister, who later visited NM and viewed the Rama-Katha series.
Dr Sharma noted that the upcoming exhibition strove to re-kindle global interest in Indian miniature paintings, particularly those to the great epics of the country.
“While this exhibition will certainly be a treat for Indian audiences in Australia, it will also be a special way of introducing aspects of Indian culture among its citizens, further empowering the strong cultural tie between the two countries,” he noted.
NM Director-General Dr Venu V pointed out that both India and Australia have a rich history, particularly of oral cultures.
“The Rama-Katha is part of this oral inheritance where the epic has grown many layers, as is the case with interpretations around it through ages,” he said. “Introducing the Ramayana story to Australian audiences through this exhibition will also be a great opportunity to bring international histories closer.”
NM curator Dr Vijay Kumar Mathur, who has selected the 101 paintings in chronological progression capturing the story of the Ramayana that has caught public imagination for over 2,500 years, said the collection is one of India’s richest artefacts.
“These miniatures are from schools such as Mughal, Deccan, Pahari, Rajasthan and Central India. They represent a matured movement that colourfully visualises the spirit of the Ramayana,” he noted, recalling that NM had organised a Rama-Kathaexhibition in 2013, after which it travelled to Belgium.
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| Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop briefed by NM curator, Dr V K Mathur on Monday, April 13, ahead of the Rama-Katha exhibition at National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, starting May 22. |
NM, which was established in 1949, is India’s premier museum, housing collections of sculptures, paintings and artefacts representing 5,000 years of art in the subcontinent. NGA, which holds more than 166,000 works of art, is the national art museum of Australia.
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