Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat pays tribute to Nicholas Roerich

An exhibition celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Russian painter, writer and explorer Nicholas Roerich is currently on view at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Kumarakrupa Road.

The show is called ‘Vspominaya Roerich @ 150’. Vspominaya translates to ‘remembering’ in Russian.

Roerich is considered one of the Navratnas or nine jewels of Indian art. He is the only international artist on the list featuring names like Raja Ravi Varma, Rabindranath Tagore, and Jamini Roy. Roerich spent the last 20 years of his life in the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh.

Prolific legacy

Art historian and writer Suresh Jayaram talks about the importance of remembering Roerich: “He was an artist with esoteric views. He was fascinated by eastern philosophies, religions, myths and folklore. Mystical symbolism and spiritual themes are noticeable in his art.” Through his work, he explored the concept of Shambala, a mythical utopian kingdom that is said to exist somewhere between the Himalayan mountains and the Gobi Desert. As a part of the exhibition, Jayaram will host a gallery walk on Saturday and shed light on Roerich’s work from a critical lens.

“He has a strong connection with India. It was on his quest to explore eastern philosophies that he arrived in India in the 1920s. He was a prominent member of the Indian art and culture scene and was good friends with the Tagore and Nehru families,” he adds. 

His contribution transcended boundaries. “For example, he has done great work for the Russian ballet. He has worked with Sergei Diaghilev, founder of the Ballets Russes,” he elaborates.

Roerich Blue is another part of his legacy. It is a deep, vibrant shade of blue, named after him. It is known to evoke a sense of serenity and grandeur. When Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was asked what the earth looked like from space, he compared it to the paintings of Roerich.

The Russian artist used this shade of blue frequently in his artworks depicting vast landscapes of the Himalayas.

Himalayan show

Thirty-six paintings from the 1920s, which were a part of Roerich’s ‘Himalayan Studies’ series, are on display. The artworks are painted on 18 x 12 inch pieces of cardboard, using tempera pigments usually mixed with egg yolk as a binding agent.

These were donated by his painter-son Svetoslav in the 1980s. The exhibition also includes some archival material — a container of Windsor and Newton blue pigment used by Roerich, Svetoslav’s personal record of his father’s artworks, postcards of Roerich’s works, and a newspaper cutting about the Roerich Pact from 1935. The Roerich Pact was a treaty that aimed to protect art institutions and historical monuments in times of war. It was approved by India in 1948.

“Roerich was fascinated by the Himalayas. He would travel through Tibet and Central Asia with few painting supplies and cardboard boxes. When he was inspired by his surroundings, he would quickly cut open the cardboard boxes and paint on them. This was his way of studying the mountains for bigger paintings of the Himalayas he was working on,” says Vijayashree C S, curator of the show.

The exhibition is divided into multiple sections, each focusing on various elements of nature. “In one section, we’ve put together all the paintings where Roerich has depicted wind, mist and clouds. In another, you can see how he played with the colours of the sky — in both warm and cool tones. A popular section among visitors is one where he has painted water along the mountains,” elaborates Vijayashree.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, Choodamani Nanagopal, director at Centre of Excellence in Art and Culture Research, will deliver a lecture on the artist and his works on Thursday.

Bengaluru connect

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat plans to celebrate 2024-2025 as the ‘Year of Roerichs’.

Besides Nicholas Roerich’s 150th birth anniversary, 2024 also marks the 120th birth anniversary of Svetoslav. The latter had a close connection with Bengaluru. He moved here in 1947 after marrying (actress) Devika Rani.

“We’re planning to create high-quality prints of Roerich’s works and take them to schools and colleges across the country as part of a travelling exhibition. Plus, our 2025 calendar will be themed around Roerich,” adds Vijayashree.

On view until November 18, 10.30 am to 6 pm, at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Kumarakrupa Road. For details, check @karnatakachitrakalaparishat on Instagram.