sanjaychhikara
October 16th, 2003, 10:25 PM
For the painting see the site http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020312/ncr.htm
A Jat wrestler who paints from his rustic heart
Deepender
Jhajjar, March 11
A Jat lad and painting? Eyebrows may be raised. But Mahesh Dalal is a Jat from a Haryana village and has taken to painting as a full-time profession. Coming from a place known more for its rural culture and combative characters, Mahesh Dalal is a wrestler who began wielding the brush as a pastime. It is the realisation of his own talent that has forced him to travel the road less travelled by his fellow village folks. From wrestler to an artist, it has been a long journey for this 26-year-old resident of Mandouthi village of this district.
Mahesh has had the privilege of exhibiting his collection of 40-odd oil paintings in several famous galleries in the country, including All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, New Delhi. Apart from this, he had exhibited his work in North Zone Inter-University Youth Festival ‘Unifest 2000’, at Gymkhana Club of Faridabad, All-India Artists Workshop - Surajkund in February 2000, and at Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi in 1999.
“Painting is a passion for Mahesh,” says Mr Tejpal Dalal, elder brother of Mahesh, who was the first person to recognise the talent in him when he (Mahesh) used to draw whatever he sees around him with pencils on paper. Mr Tejpal says their family has a background in defence and sports and their parents wanted Mahesh to join the police or defence forces. However, the young lad wouldn’t budge. He insisted on pursuing a career in painting, recalls Mr Tejpal. Interestingly, Mahesh has no qualification or formal training in painting. His routine was to go to the akhara for intense physical exercises daily.
“On my brother’s encouragement, I drew portraits of some of the leaders of freedom struggle with pencil for showing at an exhibition held in the All India Jat Heroes Memorial College, Rohtak, where I was a second year BA student, on the occasion of the completion of 50 years of our Independence,” revealed Mahesh. His drawing drew appreciation much beyond his expectations. “During the exhibition, some visitors advised me to paint with oil colours.” He followed the advice and even now practises it for long hours, particularly in the nights as oil catches dust in daytime and the paints fade.
The practice has paid off. Although he doesn’t know much about the finer points of the art, his paintings reveal the influence of the culture in which he has lived. “I could not classify my work in the artistic streams as it requires academic knowledge which I lack,” he admits boldly, but maintains that he has been quite successful in conveying his message and feelings in his paintings.
Watch any of his paintings, they reflect the surroundings and culture prevailing around him and they can be described as the realist form of painting. Rahat — irrigation system using bullocks that was in vogue in the village till a few years ago, fight between two bulls, Sanjhi — a portrait of village women during Dussehra, a farmer ploughing the fields, women carrying bales of hay on their heads trudging on village path and kutcha clay pots made by potters are all scenes from his village.
They present the promising, dedicated and not-so-old lifestyle in rural Haryana. He has been able paint these scenes in measured strokes without a formal training or education.
For this promising artist, Venn Gouge and Sir Shobha Singh who rose to fame under similar circumstances are the ideals and guiding force. However, for the moment, he is more indebted to his family, especially his brother for giving much required encouragement and exposure. Mahesh strongly believes in the rich Indian art of painting and protest against the westernisation of everything, including art.
A Jat wrestler who paints from his rustic heart
Deepender
Jhajjar, March 11
A Jat lad and painting? Eyebrows may be raised. But Mahesh Dalal is a Jat from a Haryana village and has taken to painting as a full-time profession. Coming from a place known more for its rural culture and combative characters, Mahesh Dalal is a wrestler who began wielding the brush as a pastime. It is the realisation of his own talent that has forced him to travel the road less travelled by his fellow village folks. From wrestler to an artist, it has been a long journey for this 26-year-old resident of Mandouthi village of this district.
Mahesh has had the privilege of exhibiting his collection of 40-odd oil paintings in several famous galleries in the country, including All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, New Delhi. Apart from this, he had exhibited his work in North Zone Inter-University Youth Festival ‘Unifest 2000’, at Gymkhana Club of Faridabad, All-India Artists Workshop - Surajkund in February 2000, and at Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi in 1999.
“Painting is a passion for Mahesh,” says Mr Tejpal Dalal, elder brother of Mahesh, who was the first person to recognise the talent in him when he (Mahesh) used to draw whatever he sees around him with pencils on paper. Mr Tejpal says their family has a background in defence and sports and their parents wanted Mahesh to join the police or defence forces. However, the young lad wouldn’t budge. He insisted on pursuing a career in painting, recalls Mr Tejpal. Interestingly, Mahesh has no qualification or formal training in painting. His routine was to go to the akhara for intense physical exercises daily.
“On my brother’s encouragement, I drew portraits of some of the leaders of freedom struggle with pencil for showing at an exhibition held in the All India Jat Heroes Memorial College, Rohtak, where I was a second year BA student, on the occasion of the completion of 50 years of our Independence,” revealed Mahesh. His drawing drew appreciation much beyond his expectations. “During the exhibition, some visitors advised me to paint with oil colours.” He followed the advice and even now practises it for long hours, particularly in the nights as oil catches dust in daytime and the paints fade.
The practice has paid off. Although he doesn’t know much about the finer points of the art, his paintings reveal the influence of the culture in which he has lived. “I could not classify my work in the artistic streams as it requires academic knowledge which I lack,” he admits boldly, but maintains that he has been quite successful in conveying his message and feelings in his paintings.
Watch any of his paintings, they reflect the surroundings and culture prevailing around him and they can be described as the realist form of painting. Rahat — irrigation system using bullocks that was in vogue in the village till a few years ago, fight between two bulls, Sanjhi — a portrait of village women during Dussehra, a farmer ploughing the fields, women carrying bales of hay on their heads trudging on village path and kutcha clay pots made by potters are all scenes from his village.
They present the promising, dedicated and not-so-old lifestyle in rural Haryana. He has been able paint these scenes in measured strokes without a formal training or education.
For this promising artist, Venn Gouge and Sir Shobha Singh who rose to fame under similar circumstances are the ideals and guiding force. However, for the moment, he is more indebted to his family, especially his brother for giving much required encouragement and exposure. Mahesh strongly believes in the rich Indian art of painting and protest against the westernisation of everything, including art.