‘It is in their eyes’: Realist painter Shyam Verma’s paintings speak volumes through their gaze

The 2024 India Art Festival held at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi, from November 14 to17 was a heaven for art enthusiasts. This vibrant celebration of contemporary Indian art, which began in 2008 under the Indian Contemporary Art Journal, has evolved from its initial mission of supporting rural and semi-urban artists into a nationwide cultural phenomenon reaching major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. 

Addressing art infrastructure gap 

The festival emerged as a response to India's limited platforms for its more than 200,000 artists. Its innovative dual-pattern exhibition model, launched in Mumbai, creates space for both galleries and independent artists, making art presentations accessible, easier, and communicable, both for creators and art collectors. 

Art themes 

The 2024 lineup maintained various styles and themes, such as landscapes as seen in the works of Bela Kumari, Rahul Naskar, and Varun Singh; abstract art pieces by Alka Pandey, Anindita Kishore, and Cheena Madan; human relationships explored by Amita Singhal, Anjali Prabhakar, and Jasmine Rizvi. Besides, a variety of spiritual art themes are portrayed by Abhishek Aacharya, Pratima Abhange, and Arshhia Chawla.

There were paintings that followed the theme of realism, like the ones featured by Shyam Verma, Pankan Bawdekar, Om Thadkar, and others. The gallery also had sculptures by artists like Akshay Jadhav and Debjyoti Purakayastha. 

What stood out? 

Exploring various themes, realist paintings seemed a world apart from the rest. They had an old-school touch, simple yet powerful, as seen in Shyam Verma’s paintings. All his paintings depicted happiness where even the most ordinary person looked powerful, central to the art and their gaze held a certain intensity.

On being asked, what is the central idea of his paintings, he said, “Not everything needs to show sadness. Painting is an expression, and one must always find positivity towards things.” He added, “When this piece (pointing out to one of his paintings) hangs in someone’s living room, it should create a positive environment”. 

As an amateur art admirer, I noticed the subjects in all his paintings had a bold look in their eyes. Talking about their gaze, he revealed, “The eyes alone capture the most expressions.” He said even if something may not be seen on a person’s face, it is in their eyes. So, eyes are a very important feature of any painting, especially if it is realist. 

Shree Shyam Verma from Lucknow is a self-taught painter who loves working on portraits. He wishes to revive the culture and heritage of the city through his paintings. Verma has painted exclusive portraits of the late Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his mother, and the King of Dubai, amongst many other known personalities. 

Participating galleries 

The festival featured two distinct sections: 

Gallery Section: This section featured prominent galleries from across India, such as: 

Delhi and NCR: Gallery Pioneer, OPS Art Gallery, Eminent Art Gallery, Stage Aura Planet Shree Yash Gallery. 

Mumbai: Bouquet of Art Gallery, House of Emerge, Tele Art Gallery, Traditional Art Gallery, Nitya Artists Center. 

Regional galleries from Udaipur, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. 

Artist's Pavilion: This section works as a direct interactive platform between artists and visitors. 

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This four-day celebration represented more than just an art exhibition; it was a wholesome platform that bridged the gap between artists and art lovers, making fine art accessible to all while preserving and promoting India's rich artistic heritage.