With Vspominaya Roerich@150, Bengaluru joins the world in honoring Nicholas Roerich, who was not only a painter and writer but also a philosopher and humanist. The word ‘vspominnaya’ is Russian for ‘to remember’ and reflects Roerich’s amazing legacy.

Roerich, who was born Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich in St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 8, 1874, created more than 7,000 paintings and wrote 29 books. Curated by Vijayashree CS, Curator of Chitrakala Parishad Museum, Vespominaya Roerich @ 150 is a tribute to a man far ahead of his time.

According to Vijayashree, the Chitrakala Parishad has the largest collection of Roerich’s art in India, with 36 of his pieces, surpassing even the Roerich Estate, which has 32. “Around the world, many museums are celebrating Roerich with special events, exhibitions or conferences. At the Painting Council, we have 36 of his works that are part of Roerich’s Himalayan Studies series, which were donated to us by his son Svetoslav Roerich, which also includes 63 of his own works.

“The exhibition is named ‘Vspominnaya’ because we wanted to remember, commemorate and revisit the Roerichs and their relevance today.”

beyond the canvas

All 36 of Roerich’s works are currently on display and Vijayashree explains their significance in detail. “Roerich created his Himalayan Studies series after his travels and settlement in India. He was attracted to Eastern ideas of mysticism and for this purpose, he made long expeditions to the Himalayas, Tibet, Mongolia and Central Asian regions for a deeper understanding of their cultural, scientific and artistic aspects.

Apart from being an artist, Roerich also researched the medicinal value of herbs, plants and minerals found in the Himalayas. During these cultural expeditions, he would carry all his supplies in cardboard boxes, and would often cut them out to outline his initial studies and impressions. Later, he returned to his studio and created larger canvases using them as references.

“Although these works were done on packing material, they should be appreciated on their own,” says Vijayashree, adding that despite their small dimensions of 18 inches by 12 inches, they had effectively captured the vastness of the mountain. , caught hold of its glory and power. Nature; That’s why his work is so brilliant.”

Roerich was fascinated by the idea of ​​Shambhala, which is described in Tibetan, Buddhist, Upanishads and early Hindu texts as an ideal realm of beauty, peace and truth – an ideal land nestled in the secret valleys of the Himalayas.

From Vspominaya Roerich@150 at Chitrakala Parishad. Photo Credit: Credit: Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad

She says, “It was believed that the high peaks of Kangchenjunga were the gateway to Shambhala, which is why this particular mountain fascinated Roerich.”

Visitors to Vspominaya Roerich @ 150 will get to see the bright blue and other vivid colors Roerich used to capture the grandeur of the mountains in this series.

global ambassador

Deeply troubled by the damage caused by World War I, Roerich drafted the Roerich Pact, one of the first international peace agreements protecting cultural objects, which was accepted and ratified as a treaty by world leaders in 1935. Was signed.

“Roerich managed to unite countries behind this agreement, which essentially stated that even in times of war, conflicting countries should protect cultural sites because they believed they were a common heritage of humanity. which did not belong to a geographical region or sovereign state. ,” explains Vijayashree.

Roerich’s vision laid out the blueprint for UNESCO and other cultural heritage organizations – a fact that holds significance given the current political climate, she says, adding, “It is important for us to revisit his message of peace.”

From Vspominaya Roerich@150 at Chitrakala Parishad. Photo Credit: Credit: Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad

The artist was also instrumental in designing the Banner of Peace, which symbolizes three red dots within a red circle, to signify peace and cultural security. The banner of peace associated with the Roerich Pact is intended for “the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments” and has been flown on many mountains, and has also been included in many diplomatic exercises around the world. A norm by various institutions.

In addition to sections dedicated to Roerich’s contribution to humanity, Vspominnaya Roerich@150 is also displaying calendars and post cards depicting the artist’s works displayed in other museums, as well as an article from New York magazine in 1935 Which throws light on its importance. Roerich Agreement and Banner of Peace.

Vspominaya Roerich@150 continues till 18 November at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad. Entry fee.