Broken Frontier

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 at http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=epage;id=502130;type=803