[nickatnite]

Pics from my visit to this village and includes a sample of paintings/artwork, scultpures and artists' cottages. I hope you enjoy looking at the pics as much as i enjoyed the experience in this enchanting place.

History of Cholamandal

Cholamandal Artists' Village, established in 1966, is the largest artists' commune in India, whose artists are credited for the Madras Movement of Art (1950s–1980s), which brought modernism to art in the South India. Their work is widely recognized as some of the best art produced in postwar India, and is shown regularly in galleries across the country; in fact several Cholamandal artists have also shown in Europe, the United States and South America. Situated at village Injambakkam , 9 km from Chennai, it has over twenty resident painters and sculptors, who live as a community and pool their skills; they also run the Artists Handicrafts Association, a cooperative which manages the village and sale of works through the the permanent exhibition at the complex, which includes paintings, sketches, terra-cotta/stone/metal sculptures, batiks and handicrafts etc, made by the artists living the village, making the village a self-supporting entity.

The community was founded by K C S Paniker, the principal of the Madras School of Arts, along with his students and a few artists associated with the college. It used the `art-meets-craft' approach where artists made handicrafts for a living even as they pursued their art. By 1970s, the village became self-sufficient, and grew into one of the most important meeting places for international artists in India, and today, it remains one of the few artist-driven movements in India. Four decades on, it is one of the few artists' colonies in the world to survive successfully and its foundation remains one of the "10 biggest art moments" in India.

[nickatnite]

The amphitheater was the most beautiful feature at Cholamandal but the day i was there there were few artists redecorating the place and didn't want me to take pics.

[nickatnite]

For those driving in from Bangalore and neighboring areas i would recommend a stop at Cholamandal to refresh and relax before getting back on the road. There is no pressure to buy anything and the artists we met were cordial and courteous. No arty/farty pretensions here.

[nickatnite]

The main campus and amphitheater are surrounded by homes of the artists and i took pics of some. We visited one of the resident artists at his studio where he was interacting with a group of young aspiring art students and it was a very interesting experience. What is missing in this village is a post office and a grocery store. I was surprised to know that there were so many young people interested in pursuing art as a vocation and career as opposed to the stereotypical route that exists. Cool!.

[nickatnite]

The main gallery exhibits are not for sale but showcases the artists' collective works and some of the exhibits are almost four decades or more in age!. Most of the artwork at Cholamandal is commissioned by individuals and art collectors from around the world. Strewn across this village are works by well known international sculptors which i shall showcase later. I wasn't eager to visit initially but after entering this commune i became a big fan of this place. Thanks to my wife for this trip.


More pics later.

[mallumowgli]

Thanks nickatnite for the pics. Artists village is indeed a nice place to visit and during December /January months a pleasant place to walk around. The artists mind their own business and are quite friendly also. Am not sure any other city in India has a similar setup, though Swabhumi in Kolkatta arranges the confluence of different artistes and exhibitions.

Cheers
Praveen

[gsferrari]

Nice. It is like a homecoming looking at your pictures. I am constructing a studio apartment in cholamandal for whenever I have those artistic urges. Can't wait to spend a winter there.

[nickatnite]

@mallumowgli

Thanks!.

@gsferrari

Cool. CM is an ideal place to get away from everything.

Below is a colection of paintings that i liked. Some of them look much better in person ofcourse as all i had with me was my phonecam.

[nickatnite]

Some of the artists whose works are spread across the area are well known internationally though i do find it hard to understand modern art and their acclaim!.

[nickatnite]

The sculpture by the Jalanese artist 'keizo' intrigued me the most. Just what was he thinking?!.

[nickatnite]

Whether one is a fan of modern art or not, CM is a great little retreat from the rat race. Theo Ten Have's "Landscape" got me in stitches and maybe that's what the artist wanted people to get after watching this work!. There are more such here and the amphitheater which i could not take pics of, is the best feature of this village. Hope you enjoyed the sample tour.

[srikanthpotluri]

nice pictures, definitely worth visiting.