Poonam Rana

Artist’s Statement:

Many artists have delved into the genre of contemporary. Amongst the most prominent is Poonam Daksha Rana, who has forged ahead in the genre of contemporary abstraction.

Poonam was born in Aurangabad in 1982. She did her MFA in painting from North Maharashtra University. She has contributed extensively in the promotion of art. She established “Daksh Kala Deergha”, providing fresh vigor to artists and art environment of Pune through organizing art camps and seminars on Art. As a qualified art teacher, she has been awarded the Best Teachers’ Award seven times in a row. Poonam commenced with her participation in art camps in the 2000, and thereon participated in many art events in Nanded, Aurangabad, Baroda Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Trissur, Bangalore, Bhopal Khajuraho, Kolkata, Jamshedpur, Pune, Amritsar, and Delhi. She has several awards to her credit, the latest being the Maharashtra State Art Award for her stupendous work “Mohenjodaro in Abstraction”.

Poonam skillfully applied new methods of creation in her paintings. Poonam received acclamation for exhibiting her creations at a small age on an international platform in Poland, when she was selected to exhibit her works at the International Student Art Competition in 2000. She has participated in a number of group shows as well as held her own solo shows. She developed new dimensions in contemporary paintings; which were amply visible in her solo shows. Her paintings have been exhibited at international art exhibitions, and have been well received.

Art Institutions in various cities specially invited her to participate in National as well as local art camps. She was given an opportunity to participate in National Art Camp, 2014 at Kochi organised by Central Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. In 2016, she was invited by Tata Steel for their Art in Industry event at Jamshedpur. Her works at this event were widely applauded.

Poonam Rana is primarily an abstract artist. Accomplished in acrylic and mixed media, she has developed a unique visual language in which meaningful compositions are created through line, colour, and form. These compositions are unparallel not only in their construction, but also in their sense of rhythm.

Her painting styles have evolved over the tears. Till 2009, her works were primarily figurative, and near realistic landscapes. In 2010 and 2011, her works had undergone a shift. The artist was searching new ways of identifying the ethos within her. Works of this period were figurative abstracts, and there was a discernible continuity as she gradually eliminated the form. The period of 2012 to 2015 saw a great spurt in a plethora of pure abstracts. The construction of these works were a reflection of her own being, and reflected a search for truth and her sensibility of spirituality. It was from 2016, that the artist evolved further, and her quest was to experience the vastness of what she perceived as life space in the universe.

Her works of this current phase have been inspired by NASA’s images of the cosmos. Her construction of painting lies in the innovative use of multiple systems of gradations of shape, size, tone, and frequency. Such variations and progressions give a multitude of avenues or flexibility to artistic compositions, wherein the creativity of an intense mind of the artist is able to transform the edited images of the cosmos into her own vision; which is dynamically projected on the canvass. Her painted fields, defined by a combination of geometrical and non geometrical forms, encourage continuity in selected areas of the canvass, and also maintain discontinuities in other areas. This combination is conveyed with an exceptional sense of colour and balance on the canvass.
Her works may seem to evoke a sense of a relentless pursuit of truth. At times there is a serenity, which tends towards a higher realm of spirituality; at other times, there is intense dynamism, which reflects on the artist’s passion to search within and evolve.
Many of her earlier works in abstraction are landscapes which show revisualised images of nature. Her variations in colour themes have been applied skillfully. Colour application and mixing with rollers is her distinct forte. Her application of metallic colours deserves note because of its brilliant technical application. There are several other works which have curling of lines. Combinations of colour carve patterns which appear to create an ethereal world. Depictions in white, green, black, blue, bronze, grey, and red colours show a different spectrum of an inner world within us. It has a compositional ideology which is related with existence. These earlier works appear to be a precursor to her later development of forms of the cosmos, as well as to her newer abstractions of evolution.
Poonam’s style cannot be linked with influence of any known artist. Her creativity is absolutely independent of any such influences. Her canvasses are expansive, and at times give an impression that they cannot even be contained within the frame. Her style is boundless. This can happen only when one takes a new path, a new approach, a new challenge, or a new vision. Only when creativity is unrestricted and truly independent, can one create abstract images of the cosmos, as have been displayed by the artist in her recent works.
Her genre of the current body of work can be classified as “Contemporary Abstractionism”. In her paintings, there are overtones of the contemporary being linked to the modernistic style. She pays homage to the great masters of modernism, for they have showing her the road ahead. She has stated that her works, contemporary though the may be, have no linkages with the avant garde. Nor does she consider that her art depicts current societal conditions, trends, patterns, or ideas that contemporary art normally brings out. Her depictions, she says, reflects a vision of her passion and quest for the eternal. What she has internalised can only be conveyed through abstraction. It is only through the genre of Contemporary Abstractionism that her perception of the absolute truth can be externalised, through a medium of colour and form.
Poonam has evolved to this state after a severe period of trial and tribulation. The life of this artist has been gruelling. It is not easy to relinquish the routine, or the established, or the less challenging, to forge ahead with your own beliefs; purely on the strength of your mind. She has done this, both, in her life and in her work. This strength of character, and an unbound creativity, is evident in her body of work. Her works will continue to seek greater depth of our understanding of the true state of our being, as well as our visualization of Brahmand.

Artist Biodata:

Academics:

*Foundation
*G.D.Art
*D.P.ed
*M.F.A

Awards:

• Abhinav Chitrashala, Naded; Awarded six times.
• Abhinav Chitrashala Kala Shikshan Society Award, Nanded, Maharashtra, 1999.
• Balchitra Kala Priksha Abhinav Chitra Kala, Nanded, 1999.
• Sanskriti International Exhibition of Art, Hyderabad, 2000.
• Young Envoys, Hyderabad, 2000.
• Angel Paradise School Aurangabad, 1999 and 2000.
• Kalashri Kala Maha Vidyalaya,Pune 2001. (Exhibited at London).
• National Drawing and Painting Competition, Best Student, Yashvant Kala Mahavidyalaya, Aurangabad 2001.
• Gold Medal, Young Indian Student, Mumbai, 2001.
• Bronze Medal, Young Indian Student Award, Mumbai, 2002.
• Navneet Award, Best Student, Aurangabad, Maharstra, 2002.
• Certificate of Appreciation, Hyderabad, 2002.
• Samajikvanikaran Award, Yashvant Kala Mahavidylay, Aurangabad, 2002.
• Babasaheb Ambedkar Vaidyakiya Pratishtan, On Awareness of Aids, Aurangabad, 2003.
• Gold Medal, Young Envoys International Student Award, Hyderabad, 2003.
• Lions Club of Aurangabad, 2003-04.
• Mayur Academy, Best Teacher Award, Pareli Vaijynath, 2007.
• Abhinav Chitrakala Parishad, Best Teacher Award, Nanded, 2008.
• Best Teacher Award, Japan, Tokyo 2009.
• Unique Best Teacher Award, Pune, Maharashtra 2010.
• Best Teacher Camlin Award, 2010.
• Best Teacher Camlin Award, 2011.
• Best Teacher Award, Czech Republic 2011.
• Best Teacher Award, Hyderabad, 2008 to 2015 (Continuously for seven years).
• First Prize in Painting- 57th Maharashtra State Art Exhibition, Mar 2017.
• Chitrakala Niketan Award, Pune, Apr 2017.

• Gold Medal- All India Art Exhibition by Rad Art, Indore, July 2017.
• Silver Medal- Kala Spandan Art Fair 2017, Nehru Centre, Mumbai, Sep 2017.
• Merit award from Jalgaon M.J.College 2018 for MFA (Painting).
• Prafulla Dahanukar Art Foundation West Zone Gold Medal Award and Fellowship for Painting, Feb 2018.
• Bronze Medal- International Art Exhibition of Women Artists by Sumbaran Foundation, Pune.
• Best Teacher Award- Abhinava Chitrashala Nanded, April 2018.
• Maa Kala Sarsvati All India Painting Competition Best Artist Award- Sep 2018.
• Best Teacher Award- Rotary Club of Pune- Mar 2019.

Group Shows:

• Student International Art Competition, Poland, 2000.
• Yashvant Kala Mahavidyalaya, Aurangabad, 2001.
• Lokmanya Tilak Exhibition Pune, Maharashtra, 2005.
• Shlok Annual Art Exhibiton, Pune, Maharashtra, 2008.
• Shlok Annual Art Exhibiton, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 2013.
• Luminescences: Kerala Lalit Kala Academy, Thrissur, 2013.
• Brundon Boatyard: A Group Show, Kochi, 2013.
• “Gainsborough” Group Show, Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi. 2014.
• “Fragonard” Group Show, Bal Gandharava Rang Mandir, Pune, 2014.
• “Claude Lorrain” Group Show, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore, 2014.
• Lalit Kala Academy Group Show, New Delhi, 2014.
• Shlok Art Exhibition & Group Show, Aurangabad, 2014.
• Yashvant Kala Mahavidyalaya, Aurangabad, 2015.
• Bal Gandharava Rang Mandir, Group Show, Pune, 2015.
• T. Kala Art Gallery, Group Show, Amritsar, 2015.
• Cosmo Art Gallery, Group Show 1, Pune, 2015.
• India Art Festival- Nehru Centre, Mumbai, 2015.
• Bal Gandharava Rang Mandir, Group Show 2, Pune, 2015.
• Tilak Smarak Mandir: Oak Exhibition, Pune, 2016.
• Cosmo art gallery organised by group exhibition in Pune 2016
• Shrishti: Travelling Group Show, Ahmedabad and Vadodara, 2016.
• Birsa Vihar Society All India Exhibition, Group Show, Amritsar, 2016.
• Kerala Lalit Kala Academy Group Show, Kochi, Aug 2016.
• ICAC Gallery, Mumbai, Sep 2016.
• Art Etene Gallery- Confluence 16, Group Show, New Delhi, 2016
• Narrative Movements (NGO), Group Show, Pondicherry, 2016.
• Sanskruti Art Gallery, National Group Exhibition, Panjim (Goa), 2017.
• Goa Art Fair, Emient Art Gallery, Panjim (Goa), 2017.
• 57^th Maharashtra State Art Exhibition, Mar 2017.
• Hong Kong Hotel Art Fair; (Through Kalarang Gallery, Delhi) – Mar 2017.
• • Rainbow Art Group, Gandhi Art Gallery, New Delhi, May 2017.
  • Bal Gandharava Rang Mandir, Ojaswani Dept of Fine Arts Students Exhibition, Pune, Aug 2017.
  • Kala Spandan Art Fair 2017, Nehru Centre, Mumbai, Sep 2017.
  • Wall  Mural by Justa Nahargarh, Udaipur, Dec 2018.
  • Sahatiya Kala Samelan Art Exhibition, Pune Dec 2018.
  • Group Exhibition by Monalisa Kalagram Art Gallery, Pune, Feb 2019.
  • Mumbai Art Festival, Oct 2019.
  • Samara Art Gallery, Ahmedabad, Oct 2019.

Solo Shows:

• Rama International Art Gallery, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 2003.
• Kalash Mangal Karyalaya, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 2012.
• T. Kala Art Gallery, Amritsar, 2015.
• Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, 2015.
• Pune Art Festival, Dec 2019.

National/International Level Art Camps/Workshops:

• Yashvant Kala Mahavidyalaya, Aurangabad, 2001.
• Muktanandmahavidyalay, Aurngabad, Gangapur, 2002.
• Shrimukthanand Mahavidyalay, Gangapur, Maharshtra, 2007.
• Nirvana Art Centre, Bangalore, 2012.
• Lalit Kala Academy Art Camp, Kochi, 2014.
• ICAC Gallery Art Camp & Group Show, Raigarh, 2015.
• Ramjas School, Delhi, Student and Artist Workshop at Vrindavan, 2015.
• Tata Steel Art in Industry, Feb 2016.
• Kalavart Nyas Art Festival, Ujjain, Dec 2016.
• Narrative Movements (NGO), International Group Show, Pondicherry, Dec 2016.
• 8th Lalitya Foundation National Art Camp Nagpur, Oct 2017.
• Narrative Movements (NGO), International Artist Residency, Naharghar Lake Place, Rajasthan, Oct 2017.
• Narrative Movements (NGO), International Group Show, Pondicherry, Dec 2017.
• Scrap Material Sculpture by PWD- Delhi 2017.
• Contemporary Art, Gurugram, Art Camp, Mar 2018.
• Wall Painting by Varshavan Resort, Uruli Kanchan, Pune 2018.
• Art Camp by Ramje School, Nidhivan, Vrindavan, Nov 2018.
• Mail Art Project “AGAINST WAR” by Reiner Langer, Germany- 06 March 2018.
• The World Post Contemporary Wave International Art Exhibition, Singur, West Bengal, 15 April 2018.

Conduct of Art Camps, Seminars and Exhibitions:

• Art Camps for Students- Organized in Aurangabad 2000- 2003.
• Art Camps for Students- Organized in Pune since 2006-2010.
• Art Education Institute started in Aurangabad in 2011.
• Art Camps for Students- Organized in Pune since 2012. (Twice a year, by Art Education Institute).
• Unique Education Foundation Exhibition in Balgandhrava, Pune
• International Competitions- Poland, Japan, Czech Republic. (Conducted student participations from 2012-2016).
• Scholarship exams for children.