Steps lead to a world of canvases awash in aqua, midnight blues and sea greens tinged with vermillion. Alongside these are walls lined with strokes, cyphers, curves, that depict phases, courses and the rhythm in life. This was the first, of many steps that the eclectic mix of audience took, to experience what lay in store at “The Art of the Poet” event this Thursday evening at Gyaan Adab. Displayed in their art gallery were a selection Randhir Khare’s pen and ink drawings and acrylic on canvas work “Earth Windows”, “Dreamscape” and “Waiting” among others. Just as the colours from the canvases started seeping in and the lines started getting etched into the minds of this appreciative audience, they were asked to step into another sensory experience that awaited them in the courtyard.
“I draw the spaces words don’t seem to fill,” is how Randhir Khare, artist & poet at heart, began the next phase of this evening’s experience. He recited a couple of his verses, “Sand doesn’t go away it remains…..” and briefly talked about how his art starts where words stop. The poet artist further added how he desired to express himself through all forms of art, drawing, words and music going ahead. Given that he couldn’t express himself musically….yet, he passed on the baton to Deepak Bhanuse, a young, budding flautist to do so on his behalf for the evening. Mr. Bhanuse, who has completed his MS in Flute from the Pune University, has dedicated 15 years of his life in mastering his chosen art form, the flute.
Deepak Bhanuse, took the stage and in his enthusiastic and heartfelt words explained to the audience how he was going to react and express himself through the mellifluous strains of his flute, on seeing the work of Mr. Khare. His chosen instrument that took everyone on a new sensory journey was a specially crafted 4 feet long flute with 12 holes, called Krishavenu, named thus, by the Shankaracharya of Puri. Hand crafted by his guru, Pandit Keshav Ghinde the Krishnavenu has earned them a mention in the Limca Book of Records for being the only two people in the world to incorporate such complex physics in order to create this instrument, and then use it to create such magical art, using only a simple piece of wood.
The first strains of the Krishnavenu was like the sensation of lips sipping cool water and the water slowly inching down, quenching the thirst of a parched throat. Most of the audience were mesmerised and had their eyes closed, ever willing to follow onto the path that Mr. Bhanuse chose to go on. One could hear the infusion of the rhythm induced by Mr. Khare’s drawings in the melodic strains of Raag Ahir Bhairav and Raag Shree that Mr. Bhanuse rendered. In between his performances, Mr. Bhanuse also painted a picture with words for the audience, when he mentioned how he had given certain nuances to the very difficult Raag Shree to help it complete his expression on seeing some of the art work. Following this unique musical rendition was the recitation of the poem “I Remember” by Mr. Khare, written in memory of the time he spent in his childhood in the house where the famous poet laureate Rabidranath Tagore wrote the famous “Gitanjali.”
This recitation brought the audience to the last and final step of the evening where Mr. Khare requested them to express their feelings on how this journey of collaborative art made them feel on a huge white board. Among the audience were many office goers, home makers, fellow artists and college goers who were eager to rid themselves of the day’s woes and had partaken in this unique sensory journey which transported them into another world and was gently tugging them back to reality. Words, drawings, lines and thumb prints filled this blank white board in minutes. In the words of an audience member who was on vacation and present that evening just by chance; this experience was something so unexpected, relaxing and out of this world that she wanted to collect as many such memories as she could before she flew back home.
Such was the power of amalgamation of art, music and expression that evening that, it left no one untouched…no one was willing to let go of the spirit of expression which had taken seed and will branch into its own in the coming days in its own unique way. Many more such forms of expression are germinating at Gyaan Adab and will unfold in the days to come. So, if you haven’t already, please make sure you are part of these experiences in the future.
