Cricket on Canvas

Two young artists depict Zaheer Khan and Virat Kohli in their paintings for a sports-meets-art campaign

When 21-year-old artist Vaibhav

Kshirsagar was chosen to make a portrait of cricketer Zaheer Khan, he was excited. The reason: he got to paint his favourite cricketer and he was also one among 50 who were selected by Nike's Art for Cricket campaign to make the painting. Another artist Atul Kunjar was selected to create Virat Kohli's portrait. Both are students of the JJ School of Art.

The paintings, which will be

auctioned for charity in the near future, were conceived in a rather simplistic and direct way, as opposed to an abstract form one would expect from a young artist. "I wanted to keep it clean and put elements that best depict the cricketers in popular perception," says Kshirsagar. For instance, he chooses to capture Khan in his most definitive moment, that of appealing to the umpire, and this, Kshirsagar says, is one of the lasting images of Khan's persona.

However, both the interpretations were bound by Nike's brief that wanted the best representations of these cricketers in popular consciousness. "The attempt was to explore the deep-rooted influence of cricket and athletes on the cultural fabric of India, and see them through the eyes of young artists," says Avinash Pant, marketing director, Nike India.

The paintings are also a reflection of the colours and textures associated with the game, says 22-year-old Kunjar. The artist, for instance, uses a lot of grass green, blue and light colours to invoke the freshness that Kohli is known for. According to him, the watercolours on paper help him create the 'coolness' he exudes. "His arrival was like a breath of fresh air; he is stylish and flamboyant — in appearance and in his game," says Kunjar, who also gives attention to Kohli's hairstyle.

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