BLACK SHADOW PORTRAITS a Solo Exhibition by Sebastiano Bianco

Palazzo Naiadi – The Dedica Anthology  – and Le Dame Art Gallery are delighted to present BLACK SHADOW PORTRAITS, a new exhibition by Sebastiano Bianco set from the 10th of October until the 3^rd of December 2018.

The Black Shadow Portraits (BSP) is a photographic project inspired by the art of cameos, carved jewels, and 18^th century silhouettes, in which the image is of contrasting color to the background. The artist aims to achieve similar results using the contrast between light and darkness.

The shade creates a silhouette and leaves the rest to the imagination. Each viewer can add personal, intimate details to the characters.

“There is something magical and ancestral about the depths created by the color black – says Sebastiano Bianco – something we are all familiar with, as if the atavic fear of the dark we learned to overcome as children were now transformed into a magical portal through which we can access our innermost fantasies”.

Bianco create projects in which digital photography is used to re-invent the concept of portrait, one of the earliest forms of representation, which in 1681 art historian Filippo Baldinucci defined as a “figure drawn from reality”. A portrait is not merely a mechanical reproduction of a human subject, as it is the artist’s own vision and interpretation of the subject, through the lens of the artist’s sensitivity and his time.

BEYOND BOUNDARIES: The Journey of Indian Art from the Bengal School to contemporary

Abundant Art Gallery was setup in 2017 with the aspiration of supporting emerging as well established Indian artists showcase their work in the global market. We are proud to present a bouquet of creative works of twelve painters, one printmaker and two sculptors in Le Dame Gallery in London. This is a unique opportunity to experience afresh the flavour of Indian contemporary art and its present trends.

Indian Art has travelled a long way since the introduction of western methods by the British in the 19^th century.  British colonial rule  added another important influence on art in India and led to a fusion of styles and techniques. In the early 20^th century Indian identity and heritage reasserted itself with the emergence of the Bengal School of Art.  With the active encouragement of British art teacher E.B. Havell (1861- 1934) Indian artists in Calcutta adopted traditional Indian ways of painting notably Mughal miniature style or folk styles such as “Kalighat”.  They used indigenous techniques such as the wash method.  This led to a debate about what Indian art should aim for? Historicity or embrace all international trends to reflect modern thought. Luckily contemporary Indian art has struck a balance between the two and coursed a journey which is much more reflective of india and her current position and context in the world.  We see a more confident contemporary art in India today which is distinctively Indian yet at the same time embraces elements of global art trends.

“Beyond Boundaries” show cases artists who represents not only the unbroken heritage of Indian art dating back to Mughal miniatures but also show how India is responding to more global ideas in the post-modern sense.

Our  selection of artists represent the widest possible form of expressions and creativity. They exhibit a vast horizon depicting reimagining of the Bengal school in Mohi Paul’s works to the abstract explorations of inner emotions by Shad Fatima. They showcase an element of sensibility which is embedded in Indian culture and heritage with the signs of co-travelling with world art at large. Our artists play a variety of media including water colour wash technique, acrylic and oil. There are traditional Indian motifs, mythical and historical contents as well as articulations of the artists’ inner journeys. It’s like a grand old man with a distinct cultural root stepping out into a new world full of new possibilities and potentials. No doubt E.B. Havell would have been pleased with this outcome.