Captured by : PG1. LEAD
If you are lucky enough to walk the corridors of the Rashtrapati Bhavan or happen to be under the ceiling of its famous Ashoka Hall which proudly and prominently exhibits the Indian miniature art will surely awe you. It is the artistry of Jai Prakash who has won several national awards for his extraordinary flair in miniature painting, the prestigious Padma Shree being the highest of it which he received earlier this year (2016).
Rising above adversities and facing denial, deprival and discrimination, Jai Prakash is a modern version of Ekalavya “ a living example of how and where a person’s zest and zeal can lead him to. Though he was denied admission in the art college after XII, for reasons more than one “ including caste, class and lack of financial resources “ teenager Jai Prakash did not deter from his goal. His die-hard spirit pushed him to pursue art by himself. Gradually studying the nuance of miniature art minutely while improving upon his own artistry, he sculpted himself to rise above the adversities. Today, 25 years later, his art has won him a place of respect among the topmost State dignitaries his miniature art adorns the offices of the President and Prime Minister of India and even other countries.
Highlighting the specialities of miniature art Jai Prakash shares, “It came from Persia and spread across India, percolating the Indian culture, capturing local facial features and body type, matching jewellery, dresses and lifestyles, blending with the surrounding nature.” Just like the musical gharanas, there are around 28 specialised styles. Jai Prakash is skilled in several schools of Indian miniature paintings, for example Kangra, Guler, Basohli, Garhwal, Malwa, Mewar, Bundi, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Mughal, Deccani, and even the Company school.
Studying the peculiarities of each of these styles and their milieus for 18 years, Jai Prakash revived mineral colours through prolonged research and also mastered the use of materials as in different schools of paintings, such as paper, beetle wings and a range of brushes to achieve perfection. He has conducted several experiments in techniques and genres of Indian painting.
What was the turning point that triggered his interest in miniature paintings and raised him to this stature? “Born in 1970 in a scheduled caste family of Rajasthan that migrated to Delhi, my instance came from my father Mali Ram, an India Railway employee and himself an art lover,” states Jai Prakash who is thankful of his father who ignited the inborn artistic talent in him.
The artist
• His hand painting of Ratan Tata awaits the handover.
• Has restored the miniature paintings in Hyderabad House.
• The Shlokas he painted adorn the corridors of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the PM’s office at 7, Race Course Road where the murals, borders, wall paintings on canvas speak of his talent.
• His miniature art on the ceiling of the Ashoka Hall at Rashtrapati Bhavan is for all to appreciate.
• The Indian art that he has been painting on the traditional dress of Japan Kimono (gown) OV (belt) has been the most talked about for the past 15 years.
• His paintings have been in the prized collections of the celebrities, both national and international “ ranging from late APJ Abdul Kalam, Dr Manmohan Singh, Narendra Modi and Prince Charles, Barrack Obama
