"Rhythm"....an acrylic painting by Manisha Vedpathak

Finally my countdown has started. I am ready 

to touch another milestone. My first solo exhibition

in India will be starting from Oct 24 till Nov 1,2015.

I was pretty busy with all the preparations. Invitation

cards, flyers, catalog will be printed by tomorrow.

I am exhibiting all the paintings on African theme,

which will be a sort retrospective of all the paintings

done in Ghana. There are a few paintings that I haven't

posted. Below is one of them. Similar subject as in 

"Tribal dance" ,which got sold in Czech Republic solo 

exhibition.

"Rhythm"

Acrylic on canvas, 29.9"x 29.9"

Dance is a highly predominant aspect of Ghanaian culture.

Traditionally, most ethnic groups in Ghana have their own

dance styles unique to their culture. All these dance forms 

involve mainly movements of hands and either an exaggerated

or slight shuffle of the feet. Traditional dances are usually

clad in the traditional cloth. Dance being a major part of Ghanaian 

social life, almost all events involve some form of dancing.

Through music and dance they re-affirm their cultural beliefs and 

tribal identity.

"Mediators"...Acrylic painting by Manisha Vedpathak

African masks are considered amongst the finest creations in the

 art  world and are highly sought after by art collectors. There is a 

 huge variety of mask types found in Africa which makes classifying

them a difficult task. Face masks are the most common mask type.

 They are used throughout Africa. The artists who create mask

are given a special status. They use various materials, included are

leather, metal, fabric and various types of wood.

One of the main characteristics of culture of African peoples

 is use of masks in rituals and ceremonies. These masks often

represent a spirit and it is strongly believed  that the spirit of the

 ancestors possesses the wearer. Some masks are used as Icons

 of power to ward off evil spirits and some are used to celebrate

 and thank the ancestors during crop harvesting. Though

over the last few decades there has been a sharp decline in masking rituals.

"Mediators"

Acrylic on canvas, 29.9"x29.9"

Available, If interested contact

 manishavedpathak@gmail.com

In my painting ,I have juxtaposed these mask drawings in a complex

 composition and warm color tones which depicts the warmness

of the African continent. Since many African societies see masks

 as mediators between the living world and the supernatural world

 of the dead, or their ancestors, I have titled the painting "Mediators".

You will notice the lines on the faces in the painting. These are 

 the tribal marks and are passed down from family to family. These

 are used mainly to differentiate the ethnic groups. Along with the

ethnic identification these are also associated with the spiritual

or religious practices.

Work in process....by Manisha Vedpatrhak

A new painting in process. Hoping to finish it in a day or two. 

Have been busy with a few activities. I have justr started teaching

 art to the autistic kids in an Autism center.

Will soon post some photos of the work done by these autistic kids .

Also getting ready for my first exhibition in India somewhere at the end of October.

Painting process....by Manisha Vedpathak

It has been long since the last post. I have been busy connecting 

with some local artist and getting a suitable gallery to exhibit my works.

Have not done any painting recently but I have sketched a lot of ideas

which I would  like to transform on the canvas. Till then here is the process

of one of my paintings.

Paintings in their new homes....by Indian artist Manisha Vedpathak

Here are some pics I feel proud  to share with my readers.

These are my paintings in their new homes. 

"Breaking through the silence".....an acrylic painting by Manisha Vedpathak

"Breaking through the silence"

Acrylic on canvas, 24"x36"

Finally completed the painting. Painting is of musicians from Ghana ,

 in their traditional attire  .

Music has always played a huge part of Ghanaian society.In fact music 

and dance is an integral part of everyday tribal  life and is seen as a way 

of preserving tribal identity.

Ghana has varied style of traditional music due to large variety  of ethnic groups

 across the country. Typically this music is played at  traditional ceremonies 

such as installation of Chiefs, annual traditional  festivals, funerals, and in 

performances at various ceremonies.

The popular musical instruments include a variety of leather,wood, gourd, 

beads and string instruments. In my painting have included Djembe(drum),

 xylophone, talking drum and flute.

Djembe ( as you can see in left bottom) is a goblet drum and is played with 

drummer's bare hands. The drum's purpose and the meaning of it's name are

 to 'gather everyone in peace' .

"Talking drum"  is a white circle with a stick on it,  in the top portion of the 

painting. This is an hourglass shaped oldest instrument used by West Africans. 

The pitch of this instrument is regulated to mimic the tone of human speech,

 hence called "Talking drum".

Xylophone is a modern instrument which is just like a regular xylophone.

 These are  wooden bars on instrument and mallets are used to produce music.

The one unifying aspect of all different types of music is a strong dancing beat.

 Any African music is guaranteed to fulfill the purpose of dance beats. Hence my

 one more painting in this series will be of African dancers.

Starting a new painting by Manisha Vedpathak

Started a new painting in the current series.

Here is the sketch.