Art camps possess a rare ability to dissolve distances—geographical, cultural and stylistic like. From 28 March to 1 April 2026, the tranquil, nature-embraced surroundings of ‘Nature Knots’ transformed into a vibrant creative arena as the Krishna Setty Foundation, Bengaluru, hosted its International Painters’ Camp. What unfolded was not merely a gathering of artists, but a living network of ideas where diverse sensibilities intersected, overlapped and subtly influenced one another.
Eminent Visions: Jatin Das and Diverse Artistic Expressions
The presence of eminent artist Jatin Das, honoured with the ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2012, lent both gravitas and inspiration to the camp. His fluid, sweeping lines articulated introspective feminine forms, while his interactions with younger artists reaffirmed the importance of dialogue between tradition and experimentation. A wide spectrum of artistic practices found expression across the camp. Kandan G explored themes of transition and belonging through imagery rooted in coastal memory and urban experience, often marked by the recurring motif of the bull as a symbol of resilience. G. Subramanian brought his acclaimed She series into focus, where seemingly similar female figures revealed distinct emotional and textural identities upon closer viewing.
Phulkari Narratives and Introspective Abstractions
From Chandigarh, Madan Lal drew from the chromatic richness of phulkari to create intricate narrative worlds populated with delicate flora, tiny figures and the recurring golden deer, Kasturi. Equally compelling were the introspective abstractions of Kariyappa Hanchinamani, whose works—shaped by his experiences as a police constable—featured textured surfaces, drifting text fragments and an oval window motif that appeared to observe the world from within.
Abstract practitioners such as Vijay Dhore, recently recognised at the 64th National Exhibition of Art, and Assam-based Mintu Deka allowed intuition and gesture to guide their compositions, producing works that balanced spontaneity with meditative rhythm. Human narratives and social memory emerged poignantly in the works of Rama Suresh, known for her evocative device of depicting figures from behind, and Prabhu Harasur, whose imagery foregrounded the lived realities and resilience of marginalized communities.
Buildings, Landscapes, and Simple Shapes
Praveen Kumar reinterpreted architectural forms through layered structural blocks, turning buildings into metaphors for contemporary expansion and human habitation. Landscape and geometry offered spaces of quiet contemplation in the works of KK Gandhi and Basuki Dasgupta. Gandhi’s tactile surfaces—built through scratching and layering—often settled into serene compositions featuring a solitary monk, while Dasgupta’s carefully arranged geometric fields were anchored by a single red dot that both disrupted and unified the composition.
The camp’s international character was enriched by artists such as P. Gnana from Singapore, whose mixed-media works blurred the boundary between painting and sculpture, and Sri Lankan artists Achala Gunawardhana and Sudath Abeysekara, whose practices explored atmosphere and cultural memory through experimental media and recurring motifs. Further global participation from artists including Clemens B. Sou (Austria), Simone Noseda and Barbara Perga (Italy), Julia Chubutkina (Kazakhstan), Nada Itani (Lebanon), and Nazma Akhter (Bangladesh) transformed the camp into a space of genuine cross-continental exchange. Creative energy extended beyond canvases into site-specific and performative interventions. Event coordinator Ganesh Dodamani transformed a large barrel into a vibrant artwork inspired by petrichor, while Mamta Bora painted an antique vehicle that seemed to dissolve into abstraction. Live art performances by Dimple B Shah, Jeetin Ranger, Monica Nanjunda, Shivaprasad KT, Smitha Cariappa and Sridhara T Gangolli unfolded across the landscape through symbolic acts involving water, fragile materials and memory-laden objects, reflecting on themes of transience, ecology and migration.
Art Mela, Concert, Dance, and Grand Finale
On 29 March 2026, the camp converged with KSF Chitra Parishe – Art Mela, drawing over 120 artists from cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Kalaburagi, Hyderabad, and Chitradurga gathered amidst the lush greenery, turning the open landscape into a dynamic field of creative activity. The open-air setting encouraged free movement, dialogue and collaboration, turning the landscape into a living gallery where established masters and emerging practitioners worked side by side. The day concluded with SARVA, a world-fusion concert presented by the Krishna Setty Foundation in association with the Cobalt Forum of Art and Music, led by French musician Martin Dubois alongside Chiranthan Begoor and Ashwini Hegde.
The graceful dance performance by Shetha Vinyaas was met with great admiration and appreciation from the audience. As dusk settled, layered harmonies and improvisations gathered the day’s creative energies into a resonant and celebratory close. The camp reached a graceful culmination under the meticulous vision of CS Krishna Setty, supported by coordinators Ganapathi Hegde, Ganesh Dodamani and Mamta Bora. For a brief yet deeply meaningful span, Nature Knots became a sanctuary of shared creation- an open, breathing space where materials, ideas and cultures met, mingled and departed, each carrying subtle traces of the other.
Alka is an artist and art writer with a diverse career spanning teaching, e-learning projects with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), and editorial work. An alum of the Government College of Art, Chandigarh (BFA) and Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (MFA, PhD), she has been recognised with numerous prestigious awards and honours.
