चित्रयात्रा- Chitrayatra 1954-2017 (Photographs from Akademi's Archives)

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In the public gaze, the Lalit Kala Akademi has been synonymous with it being a platform to display contemporary Indian art. This volume, ume, profusely illustrated with the landmark moments of this great institution, will dispel completely the blinkered notion of the LKA being a mere display centre. From its glorious beginning, the volume captures photographically, the many achievements of the National Academy of Art, documenting its pivotal role as a record keeper of the nation's art history post-Independence.

By going through its pages the interested public will gather how Indian art has been nurtured and presented on the LKA platform. In this endeavour the founding fathers of this institution had set a tradition of inviting the patronage of the highest dignitaries of the country, namely the Presidents of India, the Vice-Presidents of India and numerous Governors of states. This gesture has been a befitting honour conferred on Indian artists by the founding members of the LKA.

The volume is also a nostalgic document of the achievements of our legendary artists and others who have helped shape the face of Indian contemporary art, at home and abroad. The document is a historian's delight for pictures speak more than a million words. The coffee table format of the volume resonates with every level of art connoisseur. Great pains have been taken to select the photographs in the volume so as to give readers a scintillating yet inclusive idea of the milestones traversed by this great institution.

For the planning of this book, the pertinent selection criteria of photographic exposures to showcase this remarkable history, was governed by the demands of context and capability.

The charter before us was to bring to the fore not dry documentation, but a narrative composition. Herein lay the tricky task of bypassing the daily trope and selecting specimens with bespoke ability to infuse a psychological dialogue with the viewers through the principles of unspoken duologues. Having taken a round of this memorabilia gracing the pages, we are bound to leave the book with a playful smile as we see views of our artistic youth reflected in the snapshots of the pillars of Indian art in terms of their chronological years. This exercise therefore makes us feel heartened to see the degree of resilience that the institution has exhibited in the course of its six-decade-long journey.