Delhi Silpi Chakra

Although most of the artists who had moved from Lahore to Delhi in the wake of the Partition became members of All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society (AIFACS) in Delhi, their association with it did not last long. Briefly the reasons were that the affairs of AIFACS, by and large, were planned and controlled by non-professional members who had no artistic commitment.

…….

(Kanwal) Krishna, (K S) Kulkarni and (Pran Nath) Mago, who were then the members of the Council of the AIFACS (1948 - 49), submitted their resignations…and went onto lay the foundation of Delhi Silpi Chakra on 25 March, 1949, together with (BC) Sanyal and (Dhan Raj) Bhagat. Sanyal being the senior most was the guiding spirit to the others….The Chakra grew, attracting many artists; many associate and student members also joined in.

It was clear that unless artists came together on the basis of their professional interests and needs, free of the benevolently patronizing control of non-professionals, however well intentioned, no organization could really become meaningful. Self-reliance and self-respect are synonymous for an artist.

Other reasons apart, the emergence of Silpi Chakra also symbolized the aspiration of young progressive artists in seeking something different from what had been a popular trend in the works of painters of the Bengal School. Elaborating its motto ‘Art illuminates life’, the manifesto of the ‘Chakra’ declared:

"The group recognizes that art as an activity must not be divorced from life; that the art of a nation must express the soul of its people and ally with the process of progress. The group recognizes that the artists have to come together to work hard towards the progress of art and through art help build up a virile national culture and brighter life in the country."

The membership of the Chakra was restricted to working artists, but writers, musicians, poets, critics and dramatists, who shared the Chakra’s views were welcome to associate with its activities.

The Chakra believed that art, a creative adventure, should be the total expression of life, keeping pace with time and environment. Art was, of course, mainly the artists’ business, but its purpose was to communicate; its life-blood was the responses of its receptive audience, whether it was their condemnation or praise, but never their apathy. The artists of the Chakra, essentially the refugees in Delhi torn form their moorings by communal storms, had their aesthetic seeking sustained by vitality and self-criticism.

A guest artist from outside the Chakra family was always invited to participate in its annual exhibition. Sailoz Mukherjee and K G Subramanyan were two such important names. Among non-artist members were P S Narayanan, Baldev Sahai and Richard Bartholomew whose important contribution as journalists and theoreticians was to project the ideals of the ‘Chakra’.

With the assistance of Ram Babu of Messers, Dhoomi Mal Dharam Das, an art gallery - the first of its kind in India - was inaugurated on 7 October 1949 in Delhi. This was a pioneering step by the Delhi Silpi Chakra in promoting art and artists’ interests.

The Chakra set to work according to its declared belief that art and culture belonged to all, and not only to a fortunate few; that the artist had a role in bringing the message of creative experience to the people; and that the artist himself could grow through a developed art awareness among people. The artist was not a parasite on society, nor was he the entertainer of the well-to-do.

Initially the Chakra members met in the open at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, subsequently at 7, Jantar Mantar Road and, then at Sanyal’s Studio at 26, Gole Market. The first Chakra exhibition, held in the barracks of the Masonic Lodge on Janpath in November 1949, made a great impact on the art scene of the capital. The Chakra eventually had its permanent premises at 19-F, Shankar Market in January, 1957, where it regularly held its programmes - annual exhibitions, demonstrations and discussions etc. It started a sketching club and also set up a common facility for printing and graphic work.

Paintings were sold to university teachers, doctors, lawyers, writers, actors, musicians. To those who could not afford to make a straight purchase, works were even offered on hire-purchase. This enlarged the circle of its patrons. The Chakra’s vibrant existence lasted almost till the mid - 1960’s, after which it gradually became inactive.

An Eye-opener to Art Lovers
Newspaper clippings
1958

Exciting Exhibition of Sketches
Newspaper clipping
1957

Delhi Silpi Chakra Exhibition
Newspaper clipping
1949