Vspominaya Roerich@150: A time to remember Nicholas Roerich and the Banner of Peace

With Vspominaya Roerich@150, Bengaluru joins the world in honouring Nicholas Roerich who was not only a painter and writer, but also a philosopher and humanitarian. The word ‘Vspominaya,’ is Russian for ‘remembering’ and aptly sums up a glimpse of Roerich’s amazing legacy.

Roerich, who was born Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh, on October 8, 1874 in Russia’s St Petersburg, created over 7,000 paintings and authored 29 books. Put together by Vijayashree CS, curator at the Chitrakala Parishath Museum, Vspominaya Roerich @ 150 is a tribute to a man way ahead of his time.

According to Vijayashree, Chitrakala Parishath houses the largest collection of Roerich’s art in India with 36 of his pieces, surpassing even the Roerich Estate which possesses 32. “Across the world, a lot of museums are celebrating Roerich with special events, exhibitions or conferences. At Chitrakala Parishath, we have 36 of his works which are part of Roerich’s Himalayan Studies Series that were donated to us by his son Svetoslav Roerich, with 63 of his own works.”

“The exhibition has been titled ‘Vspominaya,’ as we wanted to remember, recollect and revisit Roerich and his relevance today.”

Beyond the canvas

All 36 pieces by Roerich are currently on display and Vijayashree elaborates on their significance. “Roerich produced his Himalayan Studies Series following his travels and after he settled in India. He was drawn to the Eastern ideas of mysticism and to this end, he would take up long expeditions into the Himalayas, Tibet, Mongolia and Central Asian regions for a deeper understanding of their cultural, scientific and artistic facets.”

Apart from being an artist, Roerich also researched the medicinal value of herbs, plants and minerals found in the Himalayas. During these cultural expeditions, he would carry all his supplies in cardboard boxes, often cutting them open to sketch out his initial studies and impressions. Later, he would return to his studio and make larger canvases using them as a reference.

“Though these works were executed on packing material, they should be appreciated for their own right,” says Vijayashree, adding that despite their small dimensions of 18 inches by 12 inches, “he effectively captured the vastness of the mountain, its majesty and mighty nature; his works are quite spectacular because of this.”

Roerich was fascinated by the idea of Shambhala, described in Tibetan, Buddhist, Upanishads and early Hindu texts as an ideal realm of beauty, peace and truth — an utopian land nestled in the secret valleys of the Himalayas.

“It was believed the lofty peaks of Kanchenjunga held the gateway to Shambhala, which is why this particular mountain captivated Roerich,” she says.

Visitors to Vspominaya Roerich @ 150 will get to see bright blues and other vivid hues Roerich used to capture the grandeur of the mountains in this series.

Global emissary

Deeply disturbed by the collateral damage caused by World War I, Roerich drafted the Roerich Pact, one of the first international peace pacts in the defense of cultural objects, which was accepted and signed as a treaty by world leaders in 1935.

“Roerich managed to get the countries to rally behind this pact, which essentially said that even during times of war, conflicting countries should protect cultural sites as he believed they were a shared heritage of humanity that did not belong to one geographical region or sovereign state,” explains Vijayashree.

Roerich’s forethought set the blueprint for UNESCO and other cultural heritage organisations — a fact that gains significance given the current political climate, she adds, saying, “It is important for us to revisit his message of peace.”

The artist was also instrumental in designing the Banner of Peace, a symbol of three red dots within a red circle, to depict peace and cultural protection. The Banner of Peace, associated with the Roerich Pact, is aimed at “the protection of artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments” and has been raised over many a mountain, and been present at numerous diplomatic exercises around the world, besides being incorporated as a motif by various institutions.

Apart from sections dedicated to Roerich’s contributions to humanity, Vspominaya Roerich @ 150 is also showcasing calendars and post cards depicting works by the artist on display at other museums, as well as an article sourced from a New York magazine in 1935, highlighting the importance of the Roerich Pact and the Banner of Peace.

Vspominaya Roerich@150 is on till November 18 at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath. Entry free.