PRENEETA SHARMA
Creativity takes courage and the same has been seen in the artwork of young and talented artist Baldev Panwar. Baldev’s artwork is not only visually striking but also thought-provoking. His charcoal drawings depict the photography of the black and white era.
Hailing from Solan District, Baldev did a Masters in Fine Arts from Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla and has also cleared the national-level entrance test in fine arts. After struggling so much, he finally started following his passion for being a charcoal artist.
According to him, charcoal art is one of the oldest forms where artists use their fingers to prevent it from blotching. The same has been seen in his work, mainly corresponding stone wheel sketching where Baldev has corresponded it to the 12 months of the Hindu calendar, each month paired into two cycles of Shukla and Krishna. Baldev, in his charcoal drawing, has shown the intricate carving of the stone wheel going to the last details with grace.
Recently, he also held an exhibition at the tavern of Gaiety Complex in Shimla, where his black-and-white charcoal works included the portraits of the Indian saint Sai Baba Shirdi, realistic pictures of pet and domestic animals, still lives (inspired by the 17th century Dutch masters), and the view of Hadimba temple in Manali were displayed. The exhibition also included still lives of fruits and berries tempting with their juicy freshness, several seascapes and small-sized monochromatic works depicting Indian temples.
To be the best, you must be able to handle the worst, which is what inspires Baldev Panwar to be a charcoal artist. The inspiration is my father, who made me learn how to handle the worst. Of course, the old cinema also gave me an idea for the black and white charcoal, but today what I gains is all because of my father, Baldev, shares with Crazy News India.
Baldev’s talent is not just limited to this, he also have a specialization in miniature paintings. Baldev is a self-taught artist who learned art by practicing in different media. His one painting starts from Rs 8700 and goes on, depending on the dimension of it.
Talking about how technology has changed the dynamics of art, Baldev believes that the beauty of traditional art cannot be compared with that of digital art. However, technology has definitely helped me to gain more insights into the dynamics of art. Software & tools help to explore an artist’s skill as well as make their artwork more impressive. By this I mean, Art is innovation, transformation, metamorphosis and mutation, but innovating is growing, dynamic and modifying. Both are the needs of today’s artists.
“Follow your passion, and it will lead you to your purpose” is a message he gave to young artists.
