At the Desert Hues exhibition

Smt Padmini Narayanan, Governor M K Narayanan, along with other guests and dignitaries, inaugurating Desert Hues

August 21, 2013: Yesterday evening I was at the art exhibition of artist bureaucrat Kiran Soni Gupta, IAS, called Desert Hues. The exhibition of her paintings at the ITC Art Gallery is being jointly organised by Prabha Khaitan Foundation and ITC Sonar. The exhibition would be on till August 25, 2013. 

Welcoming Governor M K Narayanan

His Excellency, Governor of West Bengal, Shri M K Narayanan inaugurated the exhibition in the presence of his better half, Shrimati Padmini Narayanan, artist Jogen Choudhury, Jeffrey K Reneau, Director of American Centre in Kolkata, Krishna Bose, Prof Sugata Bose and many other dignitaries. Dr Madhukar Gupta, IAS, and husband of artist Kiran Soni Gupta, was also present.
It was a very very rainy day indeed in Kolkata and there was a lot of water logging around the city, yet it failed to dampen the spirit and the exhibition took off very well with 41 paintings on display.

With Zubin Songadvala, ITC General Manager, Kiran Soni Gupta(IAS) and her husband Madhukar Gupta (IAS)

Though Kiran has held 33 solo art shows in major cities in India and in foreign countries including New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Toronto, Tehran, Kandy, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, this was her first exhibition in the City of Joy and her 34^th solo exhibition so far.

In line with the name Desert Hues the paintings were mostly abstract work of art around the theme of desert and Rajasthan. These abstracts are largely based on live patterns of rural Rajasthan done predominantly in oils on canvas, but some of her amazing water colors and acrylics are also on exhibit.

With Prof Sugata Bose and Mrs Krishna Bose

Kiran seems to be a complete departure from the stereotype bureaucrat keeping her creativity and soul alive through her childhood interest which has now fully blossomed into a passion and obsession. She has combined art and administration with great elan.  
Kiran's artwork Poojatime was exhibited at the world famous Le Louvre Museum in Paris in December 2012.
The Governor, M K Narayanan, and artist Jogen Choudhury lauded the works of Kiran Soni and praised her efforts. Prabha Khaitan Foundation has been providing support to artistes from different fields and Desert Hues was an initiative to bring to Kolkata a feel of Rajasthan.
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