Nevet Yitzhak Exhibit Peels Off the Prevailing View of 'Islamic Art’ as 'Monolithic and Mysterious'.

HAARETZ
By Galia Yahav

From 'Orient Express': Shows experts as genies returned to their bottle.

ISRAEL---One of the most wonderful aspects of “Orient Express,” the brilliant exhibition of works by Nevet Yitzhak at Jerusalem’s L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art, is the resounding answer she gives to the superficial, cliché-filled discourse on Islamic art. It is a discussion that defines Islamic art as a “rich, ancient, much respected culture” in a generalized manner that, as it declares the wealth of ancient Islam, presents Islamic art as homogeneous, monolithic and bereft of any nuances. [link]

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Bindu Accompanied by Hindi Verses Acquires Deeper Meanings of Life in Series ‘Shabd-bindu’

THE HINDU
By Anusha Parthasarathy

INDIA---In a recent interview, S.H. Raza says that he metaphorically never left India. And that his work has always encompassed his roots, delved within it and found meanings and answers. ‘Shabd-bindu’, which exhibits recent works by S.H. Raza and poetry by Ashok Vajpeyi is full of such artistic journeys. S.H. Raza, a legendary artist who has been living and painting in Paris for 60 years returned to Delhi recently. A recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, Fellowship of Lalit Kala Akademi, Kalidas Samman and other awards, he excels in bringing together Hindi verses and his world of colours. [link]

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Art Show of Hindu Homosexuality Comes Under Attack by Religious Extremists

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

Art show on homosexuality comes under attack by moral police

INDIA---India's Supreme Court reinstated a "colonial-era law banning gay sex," made back in 1861, and Gay artist Balbir Krishan's art exhibition was cancelled after organisers received threats from the moral police. You might say the Religious extremists in India were busy this week. While the national government has pledged to take action, few are hopeful for their action. Krishan's art show was cancelled after a group of people, claiming to belong to a political party, threatened the organisers and demanded them to call off the event. The group termed the paintings, which are themed around nudity and homosexuality, 'against Indian culture'.

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Artist Wang Luyan Explores All of Life’s Paradoxes in Beijing Exhibition

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Sheila MelvinH

CHINA---“Diagramming Allegory,” the Wang Luyan solo exhibition at the Beijing Parkview Green Exhibition Hall, occupies an enormous space divided into two long galleries. While one is configured to resemble a shooting range — with a giant brushed stainless steel handgun, far taller than any man, and an oversize target — the other resembles the nave of a cathedral, including a crucifix and a confessional. At first glance the two galleries — appear diametrically opposed. The second includes Mr. Wang’s versions of iconic religious masterpieces like Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” and Leonardo’s “Madonna Litta,” displayed near a 20-foot high architectural painting of the interior of a church. [link]

Revolving Genesis D10-03 (2010). PHOTO: COURTESY OF PARKVIEW GREEN.

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Thangka Art for Buddhist Helps Focus ‘Mindfulness’ Meditation

TIMES OF INDIA

INDIA---Sapan More brings a unique repository of works of art from a variety of cultures — Indian, Nepali, Tibetan, Chinese and Central Asia. While some of the works are collected, others are commissioned from artists who work in Tibet. Titled "Tresors de L'Orient," the show will be up for display in mid December at the Artisans Art Gallery in Kala Ghoda. The Thangka painting is a uniquely Himalayan Art, which attained classical levels in Tibet between the 7th and 14th centuries. "Tresors de L'Orient" by Sapan More can be viewed at Artisans Art Gallery, 52-56, Dr V B Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda on December 10 and 11. [link]

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Liuligongfang’s Buddha in Glass is Purely Spiritual

TAIPEI TIMES
By Enru Lin

Buddha-inspired glass art by Liuligongfang, a glass art workshop founded by Loretta Yang and Chang Yi.

TAIWAN---Liuligongfang has just launched a major art exhibition that is uninterested in courting a mainstream audience. No subject is contemporary; everything is spiritual. Only With Compassion is divided into two parts, both tied to the Buddhist faith. One section takes flowers as its theme, a symbol of purity and life. The other is based purely on Buddha. Created mostly by Yang Hui-shan, they are serene sculptures with a melancholy undercurrent. Like all Liuligongfang works, the glass Buddhas were created with an expensive and technically difficult pate-de-verre method, or “lost-wax casting.”[link]

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National Museum of Korea Publishes Book of Central Asian Religious Paintings

BUDDHIST ART NEWS

KOREA---The National Museum of Korea (Director Kim Youngna) announces a new publication: Central Asian Religious Paintings in the National Museum of Korea. This is the first volume of a series of catalogues that presents the Central Asian collection of the NMK. Originating from Central Asia and currently in the NMK’s possession, the artifacts presented in the catalogue were among those collected from a Japanese expedition in the early 20th century led by a priest named Ōtani Kozui (1876−1948). [link]

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A World of Colors: Artist Gayatri Shantaram Celebrate the Universe

THE HINDU
By K. JESHI

Mandala exhibition of paintings by artist Gayatri Shantaram at
Contemplate Art Gallery in Coimbatore. Photo: M. Periasamy

INDIA---Artist Gayatri Shantaram’s paintings celebrate the universe. Black is a defining colour in artist Gayatri Shantaram’s work. The other predominant colours are white, red, blue or purple. Her ongoing exhibition Mandala at Contemplate Art Gallery is a celebration of the universe. “Mandala represents a circle or the universe. It showcases a little bit of my universe. All my paintings have a focal point, a circle often represented as the sun or the moon that encompasses a square (the canvas). In our Indian temple structures, a number of squares lead up to the garbagraha. The Tibetan Mandala comprises of a square within the circle. The Mandala collection constitutes what I am,” she says. [link]

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Islam's Shari`ah Approves of and Encourages all Types of Beneficial Art

ONISLAM
By Shari`ah Staff

It is widely alleged that Islam disfavors art and entertainment, which is totally untrue. Shari`ah approves of and encourages all types of beneficial art and entertainment as long as they promote morals and good values. However, Shari`ah generally lays down ethics and rules that secure the non-violation of art and entertainment to the teachings of Islam and values of the Muslim communities. OnIslam Shari`ah launches this folder, one of its 10+ Fatwas Series, so as to shed light on Islam’s rulings on music, poetry, singing, etc., hoping that it would help our readers be more knowledgeable about this important topic. For more questions and inquiries, please feel free to submit your questions to this page. [link]

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Sunnis Close Baghdad Mosques to Challenge Religious Attacks

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Associated Press

IRAQ---Iraqi Sunni religious leaders said Saturday that they had decided to close down the sect’s mosques in Baghdad indefinitely to protest attacks against clerics and worshipers, highlighting the country’s deepening sectarian rift. Many mosques appeared to comply with the order to close. In Baghdad’s Sunni northern district of Azamiya, a banner at the closed gate of the Abu Hanifa mosque said, “The mosque is closed until further notice because of the targeting of imams, preachers and worshipers.” [link]

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Behind the Veil: The Religious Connotations and the Mystery

DAWN.COM
By Salwat Ali

"Obscure" in Sillouettes exhibition at the Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore

PAKISTAN---Veil and veiling have been a part of both Western and Eastern visual cultures for millennia. In Western art the veil is associated with exotic notions of the East and is viewed increasingly as a symbol of cultural oppression. When it comes to the East, this veil and veiling has a far wider context. Other than its religious connotations, the veil has a traditional history, is considered a symbol of respect and modesty as well as as mystery, and in current art practice its usage is loaded with socio-political implications. In the recent exhibition of paintings, ‘Sillouettes’ by Sadaf Naeem at Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore, it is the finely meshed lace veil that invites speculation. [link]

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Graduates of Islamic University in Pakistan Show Wealth of Talent

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Photo courtesy of Express Tribune

PAKISTAN---An exhibition of miniature paintings from the thesis of nine recent Fine Arts graduates of the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) is on at gallery6. The show is an attempt to encourage budding artists, who have a wealth of talent but scant opportunities for promotion. Titled ‘Thesis in Miniature,’ the exhibition will be inaugurated by a US-based consultant on Islamic Art, Asad Reza. The participating artists are Ayesha Bilal, Maramla Umair, Rida-e-Fatima, Rubab Zahra, Saima Farooq, Sidra Ashraf, Sofia Younas, Sumaiya Noor and Zahra Bangash. [link]

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Artistically Speaking: Works That Stand Out With Spiritual Feeling

THE HINDU
By Ranjani Rajendra

Painting by Suniyata Khanna

INDIA--- The themes each of the artists has dealt with are markedly different. If Sujit Kumar Ghosh has dwelt upon the urban landscape full of chaos, Bhawana Choudhary’s works are full of fantasy, while Archana Sonti depicts herself as a stick figure interacting with various elements of nature in her quest to find God. Suniyata Khanna’s works on the other hand are more spiritual and have a sense of surrealism. Suniyata’s works however, are what stand out the most with a more spiritual feel to the paintings that have various segments. The paintings are on view till November 30 at Alankritha Art Gallery. [link]

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Sunday, November 24 is Sikh Holyday: "Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day"

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By TAHLIB

In this depiction of the shaheedi (martyrdom) of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji
notice the resemblance of Guru Ji to the above picture. In the foreground lie the bodies of
shaheed Sikhs and in the background the crowds cower behind a building. [link]

INDIA---Sunday, November 24, 2013 is the Sikh holyday of "Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day" which marks the 332nd anniversary of the guru's sacrifice for religious freedom. During the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Islam was imposed on the people. Hindu temples were demolished and turned into mosques, higher taxes were charged to non-Muslims and the Emperor persecuted those who would not conform to Islamic law. Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-75) spoke out amid this persecution. He refused to convert to Islam and in 1675, he was beheaded in Delhi.

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Restoration of Interiors of Sikh Golden Temple to Begin Soon

SIKHSIYASAT 
By Parmjit Singh

Detail from the blackend golden plating from the temple

INDIA---It is learnt that the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee has hired a private firm to restore the interiors/wall-paintings at Darbar Sahib. The gold-plating inside the shrine has turned black apparently due to rising pollution while at a few places it is peeling off the walls. Similarly, the artwork on the upper floor has also suffered damage at various spots, particularly along the staircases leading to the top floor. When launched, it would be the first ever ‘kar sewa’ on the interiors of the shrine. The gold-plating and the artwork inside the Golden Temple dates to the Maharaja Ranjeet Singh era. The interiors of Sri Harmandar Sahib boast of rare architecture comprising ‘mohrakashi’, ‘tukri’ and ‘gach’ work. [link]

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Prince Charles Visits Sufi-Muslim Saint's Tomb

THE TELEGRAPH
By Dean Nelson, Mumbai

The Prince of Wales views the tomb of Saint Haji Ali during a tour of the Haji Ali Mosque in Mumbai, India, on the sixth day of his official visit with the Duchess of Cornwall.

INDIA---The Prince of Wales laid flowers on the tomb of one of India's most revered Sufi saints today as its imam prayed for the health and happiness of Britain's royal family. The visit to the shrine or 'dargah' of Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, one of Mumbai's most celebrated landmarks, was to support the restoration of its 500 year old building and to promote dialogue between different faiths. The shrine commemorates the devotion of Haji Ali, a wealthy merchant who migrated from Bukhara and died while making his Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. [link]

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Three Different Strokes of Hindu Art at Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery

THE HINDU
By Parshathy. J. Nath

Myriad hues: Art exhibiton at Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

INDIA--- The caves of Ajanta and Ellora rush to your mind as you enter Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery, which showcases the paintings and sculptures of three Chennai-based artists — V. Dhakshinamurthy, S. Arunagiri and M. Raja. The meditative face of Lord Buddha, sitting under the Bodhi tree, surveys you as you walk around the hall. V. Dhakshinamurthy, its creator, says he has been inspired by the primitive cave art and temple architecture of India. “In the olden days, artists used to create colours using earth and leaves. I have tried to use earthy shades such as fiery oranges, and leafy greens and browns to recreate the ancient look. ” His acrylic paintings bring alive royalty. [link]

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Sufi Artist, Madan Lal’s Colors Explore the Hollowness of Busyness

THE HINDU
By Kartikeya Ramanathan

Hues and Humanity: Madan Lal’s work on display

INDIA---Chandigarh-based senior artist Madan Lal’s exhibition “Urban Mirage” explores the increasingly busy but ultimately hollow modern urban existence that now plagues humanity. “The problem with us humans is that our yearning for possessions just increases — materialism has never decreased. That is what my paintings explore,” he says. Among themes, the artist explores the reluctance of procreation in the work “Aquarium”, the five phases of life in “Where Seeds To Grow” and true emotion of a person in a crowd of masks in “Faces”. Sufism is well and alive in his works too. “I hail from Punjab, and Sufism is seeped into our literature, our culture,” Lal explains. “Sufism is not limited to any religion; it is a way of life. Right from childhood, it is inculcated into our creative outcomes.” [link]

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Myanmar Buddha Sculpture Returns Home After Wild Ride

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

Buddhist devotees pour water on a Buddha statue at the Shwedagon Pagoda on Oct 10, 2013, in Yangon, Myanmar.

MYANMAR---An 11th-century Buddha was returned to Myanmar after two decades abroad. Several Southeast Asian countries - including Myanmar and Cambodia - are trying to reclaim cultural artifacts. The country's loosely protected ancient artworks are still vulnerable to theft, particularly as some in the antiquities trade develop newfound interest in Myanmar art, says Catherine Raymond, a professor at Northern Illinois University who played a central role in the sculpture's repatriation. "Contemporary art [in Myanmar] is a rising star, but the dark side is the trafficking of antiquities," she says, adding that the trade has been "flourishing" for the last decade. [link]

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Three Hindu Artists and a Gallery in India Presenting "Intersecting Geometries"

THE HINDU
BY PANKAJA SRINIVASAN

Shapes, colour, imagination and sensibilities Three artists
show their work at the Contemplate Art Gallery. Photo: M. Periasamy

INDIA---Nature Morte and Contemplate Art Gallery present ‘Intersecting Geometries’. They exhibit the works of three internationally renowned artists, quite different from each other. Ajay Desai and Manisha Parekh are Indians, while Seher Shah is a ‘very-much-in-demand’, young and renowned artist from Pakistan. It is a rare opportunity for art lovers to view their paintings. [link]

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