When we talk about Indian contemporary art, Francis Newton Souza’s name appears firstly and lastly with the huge intention of respect. But when we talk about an international artist who changes the scenarios of fine art the name comes is Pablo Picasso. They are the mainstream artist who is in the limelight even after their time. Very few artists are coming in the limelight in India and Vikash Kalra’s name is rising with the new touch of a brush. In today’s time, where Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp web is getting all the attention. People are getting audiences on these platforms with and without talent. Getting audiences for fine art is not an easy thing in the 21st century; it is slowly becoming an old school thing in India.
Choosing fine art as a field of career is not an option for the students in mainland India. Due to the low popularity of this field and people’s attention towards bread and butter. India is not producing some valuable and outstanding artists like Francis Newton Souza but in today’s time, some artist is using their full potential and power to rise in this field for the betterment and repairing of the damages of fine art reputation in India. Some of them are Zarina, Shilpa Gupta, Nikhil Chopra, Thukral & Tagra. In the midst of these artist shadows, Vikash Kalra is an emerging figure.
The art culture is cruel. It takes a whole life to earn a reputation and money and quite often you do not get both even after donating your lifetime and money in this field. Even after knowing the consequences of these fields, Vikash Kalra is trying his fullest to donate his works and life towards the people of India. He is Donating more than he earned from his art. Coming from a humble middle-class family this artist is doing better than some of his underdog colleagues. Maybe the touch of both classical and contemporary flavor is the reason behind his front line leading the underdog contemporary art in India.
Maybe, the dawn of Indian art is near and the day will come when India produces more than doctors and engineers. Maybe India will be able to shine in the field of fine art on the international platform. That day will only come when the underdogs will start getting limelight and attention of the populace and people start understanding the difference between different forms of fine arts. We hope a day will come when Indians will give attention to all forms of arts also not only to Bollywood and Cricket.
Vikash Kalra is a self-taught artist and writer based in New Delhi whose work has been exhibited across India and is held in several private and corporate collections.