The tussle goes on between sculptures and paintings. Which is the better investment? ' Paintings' - the connoisseur would spit out. Yes, though paintings do have greater market value, sculptures have their own takers, albeit not to the extent that paintings have. But there is one thing to be said in favour of sculptures - they require much less care than an expensive painting. And a sculpture has more longevity than a painting!

New collectors would have found the sculpture exhibits at Renaissance Gallery a more reasonable investment than a high-priced painting. On display at the recently concluded exhibition were some of the award winning sculptures at Shilpakala. The exhibition-cum-sale was organised by the K K Hebbar Art Foundation. The sculptures, unlike traditional ones, had the modern touch and included many abstract icons. The medium consisted of stone, wood and combinations like wood and glass. The prices of the sculptures were tagged between Rs 2,500 and Rs 15,000.

These exhibitors included the following prize winners: Vijay Rao for his stone work, Dyooth; Gopal Kammar for his wooden work, Graamya; Srikanth Jadhav for his intriguing piece called Fashion Lady; Shambu Shastri for his work 'Top Story' in paper pulp, executed in the shape of a cone. These award winning sculptures were all quickly sold out, leaving many who had come to view and perhaps contemplate buying, a trifle disappointed.

The awards were presented recently to the artists by Prema Krishna, the Chief Minister's wife, in the presence of another eminent lady social worker, Sudha Murthy of Infosys Foundation.

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