The Guild Art Gallery is holding its inaugural show with a collection of earlier and recent paintings from artists like Akbar Padamsee, F N Souza, Gurucharan Singh and Suhas Roy. The exhibition aims to present a cross section of art from all over India to truly reflect current art trends. "The motivation to start a gallery was not business alone. There are a lot of young artists in other parts of the country and we are trying to bring them to the audience here," says Shalini Sawhney, the owner of the gallery. She feels that there is a huge demand for galleries in the city and gives the example of the Jehangir Art Gallery which is booked right into the next century. But Sawhney has no plans of leasing out her premises. Rather, exhibitions will be held by invitation.

The Guild, Cuffe Parade. From November 21 to December 15, 1997. Time: 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.After eight

Over a year of well planned after-dinner creations have resulted in the first solo exhibition, Azaan. Says Anup Kumar `Bhardwaj', "I always start painting after dinner. Then depending on the mood, continue till the wee hours of the morning." A businessman with no formal training, Anup's canvas portrays a series of dark blues, flaming oranges, bright yellows and earthy browns.Art came to him almost mystically.

Inexplicably after a visit to Edinburgh in 1996, he started painting. After that there was no looking back as Anup's moods reflected by the sun and the moon, kept pouring into the canvas in bold strokes. His oil paintings are priced in the range of Rs 4,000 to Rs 25,000. At Gallerie Jean Cocteau, Alliance Francaise de Bombay, Marine Lines. Till November 26, 1997. Time: 9.30 am to 6.00 pm.

First act

An actress, a journalist, a poet, a computer designer-cum-stage manager and an ad agency owner have come together to promote the cause of theatre in Mumbai. They have started a bi-monthly journal called Theatre Watch. Says Vivin Mathew Easo, the publisher, "We believe that a theatre newsletter is most relevant today when theatre-going is dying a slow death and theatre itself is in a state of flux." The journal offers theatre people a forum to reach out.

Theatre Watch was launched last week to coincide with the Prithvi Festival. Easo also hopes to circulate copies of the newsletter in various colleges in the city to draw students into this movement. While he has put in his own money to bring out the 6,000 copies of the first edition, he is still looking for a sponsor willing to fund the printing costs and keep the idea afloat.For details contact Visage Communications : 2074427, 2075130.

Perfect balance

Les Cousins revolves around the classical situations of the clown universe. It is a one-screen set of a big fat man with three heads, four legs and two arms, inhabited by three artists. They interchange their parts, either by becoming three distinctive persons, close enough to create a whole -- the big fat man -- or three individuals born from the big fat man. A succession of daily incomprehensible acts, soaked with the humour of the family with the actors using techniques like acrobatics, head juggling with big balls to ballet and traditional dance. Free passes can be collected from Alliance Francaise de Bombay, Marine Lines.At the Homi Bhabha Auditorium, Navy Nagar on November 22, 1997. Time: 6.30 pm.

Penny wise

Actor-producer-director Amrut Patel rehashes the NRI theme in his play Laxmi Chandlo Kare Tyare. Produced by Vlas Fyria, the play will open this Sunday. The story revolves around a middle class boy who gets engaged to a girl from a poor family. The engagement is broken off when a rich NRI friend of the boy's father steps in with the proposal of his daughter.

The usual masala climax towards which girl gets the boy in the end."There is this craze of marrying your children off to NRIs. You can see this trend especially in Gujaratis," says Amrut Patel, who himself acts in the play. It has been written by Anandee Amrit and the rest of the cast includes Priti Jain, Sameer Rajada and Devendra Pandit. Hoping to strike a common chord with Indians abroad, Amrut Patel plans to take the play to America sometime during March next year.At Patkar Hall, Marine Lines, November 23, 1997. Time: 7.45 pm.

It figures

A closed door, feet of a jeans-clad man within the threshold of a home and chappals outside it or a woman lying on her bed in a pensive mood -- these are paintings by Shilpa Welkar. This 1992 post-graduate of the J J School of Art specialises in figurative paintings.Shilpa is the first full time professional painter in the Welkar family and though she admits that it is, indeed, difficult for a painter to sustain herself financially, the Welkars supported her decision all along. "Some painters have their godfathers but what matters is the quality of your work," says Shilpa confidently. The dozen group shows that she has participated in gave her the confidence for her first solo show. Her exhibition include not just paintings but also pen sketches. The medium of her works is acrylic paints on acrylic sheets. "It is difficult because one has to paint on acrylic glass sheets on the reverse. The painting can be seen only when it is complete," says she. The sketches are on paper and are priced between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500. The paintings would cost between Rs 3,000 and Rs 18,000.At Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda till November 24, 1997, between 11.00 am and 7.00 pm.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.