Watercolour and acrylic paintings depicting landscapes, travel scenes and moments from everyday life form the central focus of the display at ‘Rangayan Chitrapallavi’, an art exhibition organised at Rangayan Gallery, Chitnavis Centre. Mumbai-based artist Vikram Shitole’s works portray stills of ordinary life in Bundi, a village in Rajasthan, rendered in watercolour. Nagpur’s Bijay Biswaal worked in the railways for nearly two decades before turning to painting full-time, and had paintings centered on railway stations and trains.

 

Hailing from Mumbai, Nishikant Palande’s paintings featured harbour scenes from the port of Porbandar with ships as a recurring subject, alongside landscapes inspired by his travels to places such as Kochi, Jaisalmer, Nepal, Moscow, and many others. The exhibition was formally inaugurated on Thursday, and will be open to viewers on Friday and Saturday, from 2 pm to 8 pm. The three artists along with organisers Vilas Kale and Anand Sancheti were prominently present on the occassion. Biswaal and Shitole both traced their interest in painting from a young age. Shitole recalled his parents noticing his talent at a young age, and after his tenth grade, he joined an art college. He dabbles in various kinds of paintings, but landscapes remain his favourite. Biswaal described a weekly bazaar near his childhood home where he would gather discarded boxes because he used to be fascinated with the drawings on them. Railways remain one of his favourite themes to draw, and he uses acrylic or watercolour mediums.

 

When asked why many Indian parents discourage their children from pursuing art as a profession despite the country’s rich cultural heritage, said, “We don’t really have an awareness of art. People prioritise stable jobs, money and a good lifestyle, but in this process, our human values, traditions, and culture are slowly fading away. Art is one of the few ways in which our culture can be authentically preserved for future generations, and treating it simply as a hobby or an optional subject will never allow young minds to gravitate towards it.” Through their works, artists attempt to capture fragments of ordinary life through landscapes or the bustling movement of railway stations. In doing so, they present familiar scenes in ways that invite viewers to pause and observe the everyday details that often go unnoticed.