Sohan Qadri

Gallerist Sundaram Tagore's 2,500 sq ft Mid-Levels flat is filled with artwork that speaks volumes about his family.

Sohan Qadri's vibrant abstract paintings sprang from a spirit of open-minded inquiry and philosophy.

絲綢之路，自西漢張騫出塞，由中國長安和洛陽出發，橫貫歐亞，直通羅馬。途經中國，印度，波斯，伊斯蘭和希臘文化，象徵西方和非西方聞名的交匯。在由泰戈爾第五代傳人Sundaram Tagore於香港開的同名畫廊的「2014夏季聯展」（The Summer Group Show) 上, 延續了絲綢之路的精神,薈萃了當代非西方和西方的藝術思緒。

Informed by Eastern spiritual traditions, the art of Sohan Qadri neither evokes thought nor connects the viewer to anything outside itself; like meditation, it turns the attention inwards. (Vibhuti Patel)

Sundaram Tagore Gallery has been named one of the top galleries in the world by Blouin Artinfo and Modern Painters magazine.

While their styles are vastly different from one another, Nathan Slate Joseph, 69, and the late Sohan Qadri are nonetheless both known for their innovative painting techniques. Various pieces by the two artists are currently displayed alongside each other at Sundaram Tagore Gallery.

Only a poet, a painter and a Tantric yogic practitioner could engage with the mystic roots of spirituality. Sohan Qadri, one of India's greatest abstractionists in the genre of meditative moorings passed away early in March. It was at Kumar Gallery's 'Celebration' that collector and friend Virender Kumar had included a series of stellar works by Qadri which revealed his penchant for exploring the notion of emptiness or voids in a series of luminous, dye-infused works on paper.

Sundaram Tagore Gallery will present a group exhibition, "Facing East’, of works that transcend cultural boundaries while reflecting Eastern elements. The show represents artists of Korean, Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Uzbeki-Israeli origins. These works define an aesthetic language of East-West dialogue, featuring artists Kim Joon, Nathan Slate Joseph, Sohan Qadri, Hiroshi Senju, Robert Yasuda, Nhat Tran, Amina Ahmed, and Taylor Kuffner. Through their works, these artists struggle to create a sense of beauty that is universal through a wide range of mediums.

For his second solo exhibition in Hong Kong, California-based American painter Lee Waisler presents a series of moving portraits of historical and contemporary figures. Having practiced abstraction for decades, Waisler returned to figuration full-force six years ago, making what he calls "dimensional portraits," combining strips of wood and blocks of color to create nuanced faces and figures.

"Sundaram Tagore Gallery opened its doors in 2000 with a mission to foster the exchange of ideas between different cultures. With three locations in New York, Hong Kong and Beverly Hills, the stable of transnational artists straddles the terrain of east and west. The artists fail from such countries as India, Japan, Korea, , Uzbekistan, Mexico, Europe and America. The galleries have become known for cultural activities and collaborative events across the world."

"Sohan Qadri, by all accounts, has had a fascinating journey. An acclaimed artist, published poet and tantric Buddhist yogi, Qadri is known for his stunningly beautiful dye-infused works inspired by his spirituality. On the deepest level, Qadri's work could be described as a yogic diagram of the cosmos, a sacred roadmap for the practice of tantra."

"A poet, painter and Tantric yogi, Sohan Qadri is deeply engaged with spirituality. For this show, the artist, who lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark, unveils a new series of luminous, dye-infused works on paper exploring the notion of emptiness or voids. Qadri rhythmically serrates and punctures the surface of paper as part of his meditation practice. Relying on a language of orifices and elongated paths or lines, he abandons representation in search of transcendence. "

"The Art section of Hong Kong International Art and Antiques Fair 2009 will feature exceptional works by celebrated artists in a diversity of artistic styles and media. Sundaram Tagore Gallery of New York, Beverly Hills and Hong Kong will show work that encourages a dialogue between the East and West. Featured artists include Hiroshi Senju(Japan), Sohan Qadri (India) and Kim Joon (Korea) along with Susan Weil (USA), Natvar Bhavsar (India)."

"A Hong Kong gallery is taking an upbeat attitude by presenting major names in its exhibitions [...] Even as galleries along the city's arts and antiques hub, Hollywood Road axe show and offer fewer high-priced works to tide over the global credit crunch, Sundaram Tagore continues to showcase major pieces by the artists it represents."

""My ball rolled down the hill and when I ran after I saw tiger cubs. That was what made me aware that we had been living in a jungle all this time," says Sundaram Tagore with a smile emerging on his lips."

The contemporary-art market may be down, but it is definitely not out. In fact, these unKoonsian times, like many downturns before, allow artists and dealers to be more creative, and collectors to focus on the fundamentals […] Sundaram Tagore, a grandnephew of Indian poet Rabindranath and a dealer with galleries in New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong says good art works by key artists—especially in the $500,000 and over range—have been moving.

Art historian Sundaram Tagore's doctoral thesis looks at Indian artists' response to European modernisation from the 1940s to 1980s. As a curator, however, his focus is more on the here and now. Hence the title of his gallery's latest group exhibition by 18 international artists, which opens today at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery's Hong Kong branch.

Features Hiroshi Senju, Sohan Qadri, Nathan Slate Joseph and Hosook Kang. Photographs by Marc Baptiste.
Also includes an interview with Sundaram Tagore.

"Sundaram Tagore Gallery was offering medium-sized, dye-and-ink-on-paper works by Indian artist Sohan Qadri..."

"Currently showing at Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Qadri's paintings are products of deep meditation and natural textile dyes. Simple circles, lines and squares are punctured or serrated in meticulously, powerful symbols that seem to breath and expand, reinforcing the concentration of energies like a yantra or mandala."

"Qadri creates two-colour works on paper, which despite his minimalist approach exhibit a multitude of subtle shadings."

"...Less-colour-saturated but no less intuitive are the pieces by Natvar Bhavsar, who sprinkles pigment delicately on his canvases in an echo of Jackson Pollock, although the works' understated quality reflects a gentle Asian sensibility that's the opposite of the American painter's frenetic, ego-driven style..."

"When Sundaram Tagore established his New York gallery in 2000, a dynamic new phase opened up in the East-West art dialogue."

"With galleries in three cities across the world, and plans for two more, Sundaram Tagore tends to take a global perspective."

"Art, globalization and inter-cultural dialogue are themes dear to Tagore. The latter populates his conversation and is reflected in the work he shows. Recent exhibits at his Chelsea gallery have included the metalwork of an Israeli-American, Nathan Slate Joseph; the lush, Scandinavian-influenced paintings by the Indian artist Sohan Qadri; and the ethereal waterfalls of Japanese painter Hiroshi Senju. Tagore's gallery statemnt, afterall, is to develop exhibitions and host events that "engage in spiritual, social and aesthetic dialogues with traditions other than our own."..."

"Hong Kong's ambition to be Asia's art hub received another boost with the recent arrival of three top galleries: Gagosian, Sundaram Tagore and Tang Contemporary. Sundaram Tagore opened on the city's gallery street, Hollywood Road, on May 9."

"Tagore's Galleries in New York, Los Angeles and now Hong Kong combine visual arts with other forms such as poetry reading, dance performances, music, films and charity funding."

"Tagore explains how his passion for art has enabled him to dissolve differences in cultures and bring them together in a unique and creative way, denoting that art can transcend all culture and social standings."

"Gallerist Sundaram Tagore said, "All these artists have spent their lives working in and exploring different Eastern and Western cultures - including India, China, Nepal, Japan, Italy, Holland and America. Together they create an incredible mosaic and foster an intercultural dialogue that reflects a diversity of thought and artistic style."

"These 'philosophical discussions' are fundamental to Tagore's vision for his galleries, or 'cultural spaces' as he prefers to call them. Unlike galleries that buy and sell art solely as a monetary transaction, Tagore has a mission to create a global community of artists and foster a dialogue between Western and non-Western cultures."

"Among the returning dealers is New York's Sundaram Tagore Gallery, which is bringing a selection of richly hued abstractions, priced between $25,000 and $250,000, by the likes of Natavar Bhavsar and Hiroshi Senju, who were born in Gujurat, India, and Tokyo, respectively."

"...Sundaram Tagore Gallery exhibits art that seeks to go beyond boundaries of many kinds."

"Today, everything is condensed in time. What took 100 years, today takes about ten years and that's largely because of the internet revolution."

A Chat with Sundaram Tagore, ambassador for India's exploding art market.

"...Now working with painted paper ritually immersed in ink and dye and then serrated, Qadri has developed a 'new' methodology of painting beautiful spiritual work where the artists is in a calm introspective state..."

"...Natvar Bhavsar is a color field painter who works in pure pigment. He is largely credited for bringing a spiritual element to the absrtact expressionism movement in America..."

"But the first show of Indian contemporary art in the fair's history, from newcomer Sundaram Tagore of New York, also reflects heightened interest in that field Tagore has meditative paintings on paper by Sohan Qadri.."

"Qadri, talking about his process of painting, says: 'When I start on a canvas I first empty my mind of all images. They dissolve into a primordial space. Only emptiness should communicate with the emptiness of the canvas'... "

"When I contacted Sohan at his studio in Copenhagen, he explained why he had switched from painting on canvas to painting on paper: 'Paper is much more feminine. Canvas is much more of a struggle. I am against struggle. Good art doesn't come out of struggle. Good art comes out of surrender'..."

"Made with ink and dye on handmade-looking paper, color is a key element in Qadri's work."

"In particular, Qadri's color choices--mercury reds, peacock blues, and even stark black and grays-- underscore his Indian roots, while his sense of form points to his philosophical inclinations."

"Artist, poet Tantric guru Sohan Qadri has been immersed in painting and mediation for more than 30 years."