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Sharad Devarajan On Heroes And Villains Comic Book And Art Show At LACMA (PR)
posted November 29, 2009
 

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Showcases Liquid Comics Artists in First Major Museum Showing of Indian Comic Book Artwork

Los Angeles, CA -- Nov 30, 2009 -- The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents Heroes and Villains: The Battle for Good in India's Comics, an exhibition comprised of fifty-three paintings, works on paper, and vintage comic books, on view through February 7, 2010. The exhibition examines the legacy of India's divine heroes and heroines in contemporary South Asian culture through the comic book genre.

Liquid Comics Co-Founders, Gotham Chopra, Sharad Devarajan and Suresh Seetharaman announced the inclusion of artwork featuring Liquid's characters such as Devi and Ramayan 3392 A.D. created by Liquid's leading artists and creators including Jeevan J. Kang, Mukesh Singh and Saumin Patel.

Sharad Devarajan, Liquid's CEO added, "This historic show is incredible validation of the creative renaissance we are seeing in today's Indian entertainment industry and indicative of Liquid's mission to transform the perception of India from an outsourcer to a source"

"Move over Picasso, here come Mukesh Singh. Make some room Van Gogh, hello Jeevan Kang. Nothing makes me prouder than to see young Indian artists strut their stuff and have is showcased to the world in one of the planet's finest contemporary museums," added Gotham Chopra.

Today, comic book production takes place in a global cultural context and within a multi-media framework that combines traditional hand-drawn illustrations with computer design and animation technology. The exhibition explores this process through a survey of Liquid Comics' Devi and Ramayan 3392 A.D. series, which were inspired by heroic characters from the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and other Indian texts.

"This is the first exhibition of Indian comics on view at a major museum," said LACMA museum curator, Julie Romain. "Here at LACMA we have the unique opportunity to consider this contemporary art form in relation to our extensive historical collection of South and Southeast Asian art."

"If art is an expression of time, India has come of age. It is a treasure trove of creative content waiting to be tapped. I am positive this exhibit will open the doors to the world to explore India's vast untapped resource. Artists like Jeevan, Mukesh, Saumin and Abhishek are a showcase of this new India in the making," added Suresh Seetharaman, Liquid's President.

Digital versions of Liquid's Ramayan 3392A.D. and Devi series can be read online at www.LiquidComics.com and selections from the exhibition can be viewed online.

About Liquid Comics
Liquid Comics, formerly known as Virgin Comics LLC, is an entertainment company focused on creating original stories and modern myths for worldwide audiences. The company was founded by entrepreneurs, Gotham Chopra, Sharad Devarajan and Suresh Seetharaman and uses the medium of graphic novel publishing to develop properties for theatrical live-action films, animation and video games. Liquid has created original graphic novels with acclaimed filmmakers and creators including John Woo, Shekhar Kapur, Deepak Chopra, Guy Ritchie, Dave Stewart, Jonathan Mostow, Edward Burns, Nicolas Cage, and others. The Company currently has a number of film and television projects in development including the Warner Bros. film adaptation of Gamekeeper with director Guy Ritchie; Virulents with New Regency and director John Moore; Voodoo Child with Saturn Films and Reliance; The Leaves with Summit Entertainment; The Stranded, in development for television, with the Syfy Channel; and Ani-Max and First Family in development with FremantleMedia Enterprises. www.LiquidComics.com

About LACMA

Since its inception in 1965, LACMA has been devoted to collecting works of art that span both history and geography -- and represent Los Angeles' uniquely diverse population. Today, the museum features particularly strong collections of Asian, Latin American, European, and American art, as well as a new contemporary museum on its campus, BCAM. With this expanded space for contemporary art, innovative collaborations with artists, and an ongoing transformation project, LACMA is creating a truly modern lens through which to view its rich encyclopedic collection. General Information: LACMA is located at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. For more information about LACMA and its programming, call 323 857-6000 or visit lacma.org.