Daira lines up unique shows to mark 18 yrs

Banjara Hills: Daira Centre for Arts and Culture will turn 18 on October 19. To celebrate the occasion, founders Atiya and Atika Amjad are organising a show, 'The 18th Anniversary Solidarity Show' in two groups: Show I on October 19 to 31; and Show II on November 04 to 16.

A galaxy of artists are taking part in the exhibitions: Akhilesh, Akshay Anand, Anand Bekwad, Anjani Reddy, A Rajeswara Rao, Avadhesh Yadav, Bala Bhakta Raju, B Kiran Kumari, B Nagesh Goud, Brahmam S, B Vishveshwara Rao, Chippa Sudhakar, Farhad Tamkanat, Fawad Tamkanat, Gauri Vemulla, Gautam Pal, Tapan Dash, Tailor Srinivas, Thota Laxminarayan and Vithal Muppidy and the like.

The gallery consistently worked towards not just building an audience in the city but creating space for professional artists as well as creatively inclined ones. Every event in its basement had something interesting or profound to narrate: The Daira inaugural show in 2001 got them the blessings of veterans like Jagdish Mittalji and Bhadrivishal Pittiji. And on the contrary, a few, raised a question like "after the 9 -11 issue you think you will be able to run an art gallery?" A bustling gallery was a fit response to the few sceptics.

Daira Centre for Arts and Culture is not merely a physical showcase of the visual arts but it is an active space that welcomed creative voices of all kinds: Poets, photographers, performers, painters all found a mooring in this space.

The most memorable ones were the group residencies titled Walk of Art, Naksh - a printmaking workshop marshalled by veteran artist, Laxma Goud, the unforgettable visitations of MF Husain Sahab are a few to mention. In fact, every artist friend who stepped into the gallery had contributed towards what Daira is today.

The 18th anniversary of Daira Centre for Arts and Culture is merely a reckoner for all the stakeholders to not just celebrate but seriously review the course we all need to collectively chart out and move ahead, stated a release.