‘Modepu’selected for Lalithakala Akademi book award

Mangaluru: ‘Modepu: Contributions of Late Artists to Modern Art – An Introduction,' a publication by Art Kanara Trust, was selected for the Karnataka Lalithakala Academy Book Award for the year 2022–2023. The book captures the rich and nuanced history of coastal Karnataka's visual art movement, with a special focus on the contributions of artists and pioneers of the past, whose legacies often remained overlooked.It meticulously documents the lives and works of 34 artists, including Pavanje Gopalakrishnaiah, NG Pavanje, Shivarama Karanth, KK Hebbar, LK Shevgoor, BG Mohammad, LP Anchan, PP Karanth, GS Shenoy, Ramadas Adyanthaya and Mohan Sona.The book was the culmination of a major curatorial initiative jointly organised in Nov 2022 by Art Kanara Trust and the INTACH, Mangaluru chapter, in collaboration with the NG Pavanje Chair for Visual Arts of Mangalore University. The initiative featured exhibitions of artworks and archival material of all 34 artistes, held at the Kodialguthu Center for Art & Culture in Mangaluru and Drishti Art Gallery in Udupi, with the support of Artists' Forum.A 243-page volume was subsequently published in Feb 2023. The book's text was authored by artist Janardhan Havanje, with an insightful foreword by acclaimed art critic HA Anil Kumar, who emphasised the significance of documenting regional art histories as meaningful alternatives to dominant mainstream narratives.The research, structure, design, and editing for Modepu were led by noted art historian Nemiraj Shetty and artist Rajendra Kedige, both trustees of Art Kanara Trust, who served as co-editors. Harish Kodialbail and Reshma S Shetty played a key role in organising the exhibitions and coordinating the publication. Subhash Chandra Basu, INTACH convener and president of Art Kanara Trust, provided guidance and valuable feedback throughout the publication process. The publication was supported by Shenoy Art Foundation, Bengaluru.The Karnataka Lalithakala Akademi Award will be officially conferred during a felicitation ceremony scheduled to be held on Friday at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bengaluru.