| Pranava Prakash | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 February 1979 Patna, Bihar, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Field | pop art, installation art, painting |
| Training | NMCH,Patna, Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad |
| Movement | Socio Pop Art |
| Works | The Goddess of Fifteen Minutes of Fame, Your Turn, Chal Hat Be Bihari |
| Influenced by | Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein |
| Awards | Obra De Art Annual Medal,2009 |
Pranava Prakash (born in Patna in 1979) is an Indian artist working in neopop style. Pranava started " tuchchart " style with a group of Delhi artists, starting with his Tuchchart show (in 2007) in Delhi. Pranava is known for his paintings on various sociopolitical issues like xenophobia.[1]
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Pranava did his MBA from Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad and MBBS from Nalanda Medical College, Patna,[1] as a student of Magadh University. He held several solo shows. His " Tuchchart " show in 2007 was a comment on the culture of mass consumption in India. Shashi Shwetima in her book defines,Tuchchart comes from Indo European languages family word 'tuchcha', meaning low in reputation. In Tucchart common images famous in masses are taken and artistically reinterprated to record contemporary times. "Lamentation" is example of this style. New Millennium: New Art, Anil Sinha, RecoArt India,2008 His show, 'Chal Hat Be Bihari' was on the theme of violence against north Indians in mumbai by Raj Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
His exhibition "Stop That" based on the theme of violence against women created a major controversy. His painting "Your Turn" depicted India's noted painter M.F. Husain in nude which after many rejections was finally shown at All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society, AIFACS art gallery in New Delhi.
“Goddess of Fifteen Minutes of fame” is another of his remarkable painting generating debate. Its name is borrowed from Arundhati Roy's now famous Booker award winning novel "The god of small things", and Andy Warhol's oft referred quote, "In coming time everybody will get fifteen minutes of fame". This work divides the Indian art work in two opposite ends, one who support absolute freedom of independence and others who oppose nudity in art. The artist has painted Arundhati Roy, a Booker prize winning celebrated author who is criticized these days for championing the cause of naxals and kashmiri freedom fighters. She is shown enjoying the naked company of Chairman Mao and Osama Bin Laden. Famed social activist Adiya Raj Kaul said, “This is a creative expression of a painter and she should have no objection with it.” Noted painter Subodh Gupta said, “It's the artist's way of seeing things and he has freedom of expression. If he paints somebody nude I don't see anything wrong in it. Lalit Kala Academy canceled his show 'Socio Pop II' after publication of stories on “Goddess of Fifteen Minutes of fame”. Artists associated with 'Socio-Pop Art Movement' made a protest in March 2011 named ' Kala Ka Atmadah', where they burnt their paint brushes against curbing their freedom of expression and authoritorian act of academy.
Pranava exhibited this painting at Delhi in a group show of Socio Pop Artists to raise funds for children in need. It was based upon infamous paparazzi pictures taken of Yaana at a charity event in Mumbai, wearing no panties. He juxtaposed Yana Gupta in the same pose with mostly naked kids who represents Bharat which is a name given by academician to the population of India which remains yet to get any advantage of India’s fast rate economic growth. Pranava explained, ““Bharat, belongs to vast 32%, who cannot afford bare minimal clothing while there is a five star culture where the glitterati is preferring less cloth because of fashion.” Art Critic Shashi Shwetima said it unites Bharat and India in an interesting irony.