Alok Bal

Alok Bal studied Fine Arts at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda. At the onset of his career one could see that Bal was very much influenced by the British Pop-Artist and their American counterparts, but since then he has found an idiom that is very much his own, Bal’s works represent man’s innate instinct to dominate nature, for instance man’s desire to trim trees to look like lollipops, planting flowering shrubs around fountains. Bal uses irony and skill to express his fascination and disillusionment with life in a metropolis. The metaphorical usage of serene colors, the flying dainty figures, the scratches, the realistically done attributes are all like motifs stitched together with excellent skill and obviousity of his inner urges. The play of colors and juxtaposed frames of alluring images are themselves praying the viewer quite dramatically to take a voyage in the intrinsic avenues beyond the surface. The foreground in Alok’s painting always engages the viewer with lyrical sophistication. But once the mid or the background is revealed it takes him into the imprudent world of deception and the insecurities of self existence, the materialistic world, the world which is illicit, asinine, harlequin, where human beings carry themselves as effigies of egotism and voyeurism. This vicious world which is overlooked by most of us is eloquently portrayed by this vigorous artist. The world is shown not cast out of emotive feelings, as emotions and nostalgia do not play an important role here.

Bal’s participations include a solo exhibition Ember at LATITUDE 28 in 2013; ‘Black Landscape’ at Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi (2007); ‘Black Landscape’ at Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai (2007); and ‘Football Fever’ at Priyasri Art Gallery, Mumbai (2006). Group shows include ‘Irreverent Gene’ at Crimson Art Gallery, Bangalore (2010); ‘Nature vs. Modernity’ at India Fine Art, Mumbai (2009); ‘Live Wires’ at Visual Arts Centre, Hong Kong (2008); and ‘A Slice of Art from India’ at RL Fine Arts, New York. Alok Bal lives and works in Baroda.