Jms Mani
The simple, rustic folk of the Deccan Plateau in South India, with strong Dravidian (an ancient race inSouth India) features, are the subjects of J.M.S. Mani’s paintings. His art is an amalgamation of Indian culture with Occidental Western formalism. His figures are modeled in three-dimensional form, with bold brushwork, similar in style to those of the impressionists.
Mani chooses to depict his characters, the balloon seller, the women with a rooster, in a simple and uncluttered manner. They narrate an untold tale; much like the famous “Dancing Girl” of the ancient Mohenjodaran civilization of theIndusValley; a tale that tells of the origins of an entire race. Though seemingly simple, Mani’s images too, are representative of an entire civilization. The pulsating colours in his paintings offset the dark skin of his characters, creating a sense of drama in his compositions. And it is his colours and compositions which are expressive, rather than the figures themselves. The figures appear to have been frozen within the canvas, and their beauty and grace is enhanced by the restricted use of gestures and expressions.
J.M.S. Mani has a diploma in Drawing and Painting from theKenSchoolof Art,Bangalore. He won the Karnataka Lait Kala Akademi Award from 1981 to 1983. He has had 19 shows acrossIndiaand inLondon. He has participated in 43 group shows, such as the SAARC Exhibition at the Chitra Kala Parishath,Bangaloreand the Bharat Bhavan International Biennale of Prints in 1989. He currently lives and works inBangalore.
ART EDUCATION
SOLO SHOWS
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Fruit seller in orange dress
Original work by JMS Mani
Fruits seller
This artwork is an amalgamation of Indian culture
This painting “Fruits Seller” is an outstanding work by artist JMS Mani. Mani chooses to depict his characters, the balloon seller, fruit seller, the women with a rooster, in a simple and uncluttered manner. The artist brings out their strength of character and beauty in the midst of their mundane and hard life. The simple, rustic folk of the Deccan Plateau in South India, with strong Dravidian features are the subjects of Mani’s paintings. Though seemingly simple, Mani’s images are representative of an entire civilization. The pulsating colors in his paintings offset the dark skin of his characters, creating a sense of drama in his compositions. Also, it is his colors and compositions which are expressive, rather than the figures themselves. The figures appear to have been frozen within the canvas and their beauty and grace is enhanced by the restricted use of gestures and expressions.