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August 05 - August 31, 2010 Ravi Shukla (a.k.a. Bill Beso) Curated by Lisa Kehler Sims
Opening Reception: Ravi Shukla (a.k.a. Bill Beso) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Website: http://famousdrawings.com/ Lisa Kehler Sims (Curator) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
E-mail: lisadkehler[at]hotmail.com Curatorial Statement Bombs & Wombs is a visual expression of joy: it is a physical representation of the imagination that we all once boasted as children. Winnipeg artist, Ravi Shukla (b. Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania) seems to have tapped into the mystical world of childhood memories, and has found a sincere way to provide a face for the fantastical. An incredibly prolific artist, Shukla begins the process of harnessing these figures with a tiny spark and admittedly will not allow the fear of making a mistake limit his pen. His devotion to the innocent process of capturing his imagination has spilled over into his recent preference to create his drawings with paper from sketchbooks, or graph paper he had as a child. He explores the playful side of art (even in the grotesque), and shies away from injecting anything too deep or metaphorical into his drawings. They simply, and beautifully, are. His creations vary from the simplest of figures to the most mystical and fantastic beast-like forms. It is Shukla's use of space within the border of each surface, perhaps best described by Semai Gallery Director Takashi Iwasaki as the "anti-gravitational aspect" that reinforces each drawing's ability to urge the viewer to recall those youthful memories of awesome possibilities. We are unable to decipher the exact orientation of who is climbing and who is falling; or even what is what is up and what is down; Bombs & Wombs pays homage to the oft-fleeting characteristic of the imagination; in this instance, Ravi Shukla successfully infects each viewer with the joy, and playfulness that he himself has preserved since childhood. - Lisa Kehler Sims, Curator Ravi Shukla C.V. Born 1978. Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania Exhibitions (Selected) Solo August 2010. Semai Gallery. Bombs & Wombs. Winnipeg, Canada. November 2008. The St. Regis Hotel Gift Shop Gallery. New Works. Winnipeg, Canada. July 2004. 1610 Main Gallery. Unreal Drawings. Houston, USA. May 2003. The Eckert Gallery. Interior Invitation Wall Mural. Hallettsville, USA. October 2002. Round Springs Gulch Artist Run Center. Video Drawings. Houston, USA. June 2000. Rented Warehouse. 1000 PHOTOS. Winnipeg, Canada. Group March 2010. Folk Exchange. SOUNDS: Drawings from the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Winnipeg, Canada. July 2009. Ace Art Gallery. Projected drawings during musical performance by Ingrid Gatin. Winnipeg, Canada. November 2007. Folk Exchange. A View From Birds Hill: 30 Years of Photography from the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Winnipeg, Canada. October 2007. The Graffiti Gallery. WinDx Super 8mm Film: Salmon & Pasta. Winnipeg, Canada. August 2007. Cre8ery Gallery. Altered Photographs. Winnipeg, Canada. February 2001. Negro Gallery. Funny Token. Barcelona, Spain. December 2000. Eyes Wide Open Gallery. Indian Photographs. London, UK. April 2000. School of Art Gallery. U of M Student Show. Winnipeg, Canada. October 1999. Royal Art Lodge Studio Show. Winnipeg, Canada. Performances September 2007. Songs and Stories by Bill at the Candor Music and Book Shop. Winnipeg, Canada. August 2007. Songs and Stories By Bill at the WECC (West End Cultural Centre) Winnipeg, Canada. April 2000. The Crow That Kissed Carolee Schneemann during opening reception of Animal, Anima, Animus. Winnipeg Art Gallery. Winnipeg, Canada. February 2000. Live Video Drawings/Projections collaboration with Winnipeg musicians The Johnsons. The Winnipeg Bahai Temple. Winnipeg, Canada.
October 1999. Blown Away: Pretend Tornados. Winnipeg, Canada. Publications & Design (Selected) Contemporary Verse 2 (CV2). Cover photography. Winnipeg, 2010. Introductions. Drawings and layout for entire jazz album. Toronto, 2009. The Uniter. Various covers and illustrations. Winnipeg, 2009-2010. First Burst. Independent Press. Winnipeg, 1999. Alphabet Angels Among Us. Independent Press. Winnipeg, 1999. Junk Society Blues. Royal Woodmen Publications. Winnipeg, 1998.
The One Night Babe. Independent Press. Winnipeg, 1997. Websites (Art and Music)
famousdrawings.com Volunteer Experience
Winnipeg Folk Festival
Winnipeg Jazz Festival |
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