India Habitat Centre’s Gulmohar Hall resonated with sounds of applause at the launch of a book – ‘Romancing with Colours’ – by Dwarka-based Uday Kulkarni, a chemical engineer by profession. To say that Uday is passionate about painting would be a gross understatement. Gifted with an innate love for this art, Uday began his ‘journey of art’ in 1976, almost four decades ago at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. Since then there was no looking back for him as he plunged into the activity pursuing his passion with zeal and dedication. He has balanced his hobby with the pulls and pressures of his profession, resulting in creation of masterpieces that are a treat to the eye.
The book was released by Jai Narayan Ram of Times Group, eminent artist Prof. Niren Sen Gupta, renowned sculptor Padmashri Ram Sutar and R M Hejib, Head Sarvajanik Utsav Samiti, Maharashtra Mahotsav.
It is said that those who have a passion for colours remain young forever. No illustration of this statement could be more apt than Uday. Despite his advancing years, the affable and modest Uday – ‘the quintessential guy next door’ – has in him a streak of the exuberance of youth, a quality undeniably bestowed on him by his love for colours.
The book features a detailed interview of Uday where he reminisces about his early days in this field, his inspiration and the people who motivated him all along his journey. For Uday, ‘Art’ is something that comes straight from the ‘Heart’. He fondly remembers his relationship with the legendary M F Hussain and speaks about his opportunity to meet doyens of art like S H Raza, F M Souza and K H Ara, and film maker Mrinal Sen apart from luminaries in the field of music like Bharat Ratnas Lata Mangeshkar and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.
‘Romancing With Colours’ is a painting coffee table book and contains beautiful photographs of paintings on different subjects like life, nature, religion, spirituality and mythology that the author has painted in all these years by travelling to various places in India and abroad. The book also carries write-ups by art critics and connoisseurs of the art; and is a delight to anyone – particularly those interested in the art. Dedicated to Shri Vasant Sathe, eminent statesman and art connoisseur, it carries a foreword by Keshav Malik, Fellow Lalit Kala Academy, poet and art critic.
Mythili Attavar
