Talks
Two Takes on Bengaluru
Cop Shiva, Paul Fernandes, Darshana Ramdev
Two artists – one, Paul Fernandes, a cartoonist and illustrator and the other, Cop Shiva, a photographer – come from different generations, work in different mediums and with diverse spaces and people in the city. In this session, they will showcase their artistic work and explore the theme of what, to them, informs the identity of Bengaluru as a city.
Curated as part of the programming around the online exhibition Past Continuous which explores the ever-changing cityscape of Bengaluru through the work of Shanthamani M. in a series of photomontages.
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.
Paul Fernandes
Cartoonist and Illustrator
Paul Fernandes, a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Art, M.S. University Vadodara, now lives and works as a cartoonist in Bengaluru, India. He runs a gallery in Bangalore and Mumbai under the aPaulogy banner which presents an interesting showcase of life gone by and a world we would love to be transported back to.
Over the years this work has found expression in a series of books including Bangalore – Swinging in the 70’s, CoastLine – An Amuseum of Mumbai Musings, Shine Boards Arts – For Tame Pass, and On a High Note – A Highly Inebriated Introduction to Western Classical Music.
More of his work can be seen at www.apaulogy.com
Cop Shiva
Photographer and Artist
Cop Shiva migrated from his village in Ramanagara District to join the Indian Police Services. In 2007, he began working as the coordinator at 1.ShanthiRoad Studio/Gallery, which gave him an opportunity to work and learn from the many visiting artists.
Negotiating between being an artist, policeman and migrant has been the influence behind his body of work. His artistic lens gravitates towards those on the fringes of society, who refuse to accept their predetermined destinies. Through his artistic practice, he has documented the complexities of rural and urban India with a focus on people and portraiture. He is fascinated with the idea of masquerade and the roles people play in their public and private lives. This fascination led to a portfolio of intimate portraits of urban migrants, people of alternative sexuality and street-performers.
His works are represented by Gallery Sumukha and Art Heritage Gallery. He has also been awarded art grants by Pro Helvetia-Switzerland and the Swedish Art Council. He was the finalist for the Robert Gardner Fellowship of Photography of Harvard University, Peabody Museum in 2016.
Darshana Ramdev
Journalist
Darshana Ramdev has been a journalist for over a decade and has worked with major newspapers as well as art and design magazines. Over the years, she has written about science and technology, urban policy and closely followed the city’s art and culture beat. Having been born and raised in Bangalore, exploring the city through its history, biodiversity and through the eyes of its artists, has always been important to her. She loves yoga, politics, literature, history, architecture, and making music. She also runs a business at her estate in Kodaikanal and spends her time between her home in the city and the mountains.
