Brass strokes

BENGALURU : Technology has percolated different streams of art, but Dinesh Magar prefers to follow the traditional method for creating his works. After all, he says, his chosen medium – brass – has been used in Indian temples for centuries. The city-based artist is exhibiting 15 paintings from his latest series, called ‘Heaven Sent’, at Gallery G. The exhibition will continue till Oct. 15. 

Magar, whose work is considered a good mix of mural, painting and sculpture, has always found mythology as his muse. So no points for guessing what his latest series is about. “I have always found mythology very interesting. And it’s not restricted to Hinduism. A lot of my art pieces are based on Buddhism, Jainism and Christianity, so that they can reach a wider audience,” says Magar, who is a board member of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.

Ask Magar about what fascinated him about this particular style of art, and he replies, “I have always found water and acrylic painting really intricate and difficult, which is the same as brass painting. But in the latter medium, there is no scope for mistakes. Whatever you decide to do, it’s set in brass, and is difficult to undo.” The 50-year-old artist, who has been pursuing this passion for over 27 years, adds that even the temperature used on the brass plate affects the painting. Another reason for his choice, he mentions, is that brass has been an important metal used in Indian temples. “Since many of my painting are on mythology, it gels well with the theme,” he adds. 

Brass paintings have a shelf life of almost 1,000 years. But he does not want to stick to just the basic art. In an effort to make each piece one of its kind, some of the paintings are also embedded with crystals. The works are priced beginning at `2.5 lakh, and the cost goes up to `7.5 lakh. “But I can assure anybody who owns a piece made by me that it will be exclusive to them and there won’t be any other like it,” says Magar, who also works as an art consultant for different companies.  The exhibition is on at Gallery G, Lavelle Road, till Oct. 15