New Delhi : An exhibition of paintings by Abhay K., artist, poet, and diplomat, titled ‘Shunyata’ opened at Alliance Francaise, New Delhi on 3rd September in presence of Kenneth Norbega, Ambassador of Brazil, Sang Woo Lim, Charge de Affairs of South Korea and diplomats from several countries. Various artists, writers, filmmakers, art critics, and curators, among others attended the opening ceremony. The exhibition can be viewed from 4th September till 10th September.
The exhibition explores the Buddhist philosophy of ‘Shunyata’ or ‘Emptiness’ in which understanding emptiness becomes vital for liberation from suffering and samsara—the cycle of birth and death.
Speaking about the exhibition Abhay K. said, “When I stared at the empty canvas, I had no clue what I was going to paint. I started with making a circle and filling it with paint and it started taking a form. Each time a new form took shape on the canvas, I felt mesmerized. I started enjoying the process.”
He further added, “These paintings are visualizations of emptiness. Forms are visible when one looks at them closely but as one moves away from them, forms disappear and what remains is emptiness, a true validation of the crux of the Heart Sutra -‘form is emptiness, emptiness is form.’ The forms that appear are mere approximations of figures familiar and unfamiliar, gods and goddesses, mortals and immortals, plants and animals. They are all transient. They appear and then vanish. Emptiness remains.”
Back in June, Abhay K. hosted an art exhibition showcasing 101 works by 66 contemporary Russian artists from his private collection at Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, in presence of Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA and other Indian and foreign dignitaries. The art exhibition showcased the creative diversity of Russia.
Abhay K.’s artistic journey began in 2005 in Moscow, Russia. Since then he has exhibited his artworks in Paris, St. Petersburg, New Delhi, Brasilia and Antananarivo, some of which are in private collections across the world.