Artist Rita Jhunjhunwala didn’t want to sound preachy. This is why she decided against the title, ‘Recovery of Faith’ for her 18th solo show and chose ‘Immortals’ instead. “The idea is to salute our legends who have contributed immensely in the nation-building process. I was also sure that I wanted to include pioneers from different fields to make this exhibition vibrant and dynamic,” says the artist.
This is why viewers would be greeted with expected portraits of political figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel along with an eclectic set of personalities like Amrita Sher-Gil, M F Husain, A.P.J Abdul Kalam, J.R.D Tata and Kishori Amonkar in this exhibition. The thought that led to the creation of this suite of work stemmed from the cultural and moral erosion the society is witnessing presently. “Human values are shrinking and we are forgetting the fact that we are privileged to enjoy a life of freedom and so many comforts. But there were people who had to work hard to create a better India,” says Rita.
“They are no more with us, but it is important to remember them and this is why I finally decided to call it ‘Immortals’,” she adds.
The Delhi-based artist admits she didn’t have to deliberate much when it came to choosing her subjects. “It wasn’t much of a struggle. For instance, Amrita Sher-Gil was a pioneer when we talk about modern Indian art and so was Husain whose compositions I love and admire.”
Leading classical vocalist, Kishori Amonkar wasn’t on her list when she started working on this series more than a year ago. “I decided to paint her after her death early this year.” But this isn’t the first time she has painted the singer. “I was lucky to have met her. My son, who was learning from her, wanted me to paint her portrait. I still remember how she kissed my hands when I met her and gifted the portrait. Even though she was strict, she had devoted her life to music and this quality has made her outstanding,” he says.
Not just portraits
These portraits are not merely photo-realistic renditions of these legends. Rita places them against backgrounds that are executed in her trademark brush strokes and are dotted with symbols associated with each person. For instance, the portrait of J.R.D Tata has symbols like a plane and industrial structures and so are some books, an image of our national emblem and etchings of some diagrams in the backdrop of Kalam’s portrait.
“I just didn’t want to do portraits. I had built an association in my mind about these people and wanted to depict that in paintings. Like, J. R.D. Tata, he was more than an industrialist, as had done any other things in life. So, these impressions needed to be there,” she says.
The exhibition includes 35 large works in acrylic and charcoal on paper, acrylic, and mixed media on canvas and sculptural installations in wood. Elaborating on her practice she says, “I like the interplay of light and shade. I feel that transparent lighting is essential to enhance the expressions of my subjects. Hence, over the years, I pay a lot of attention to this aspect.”
“Also, I don’t like to use too many colours on one canvas. It is important to maintain balance in the composition,” she adds.
(The exhibition is on till October 5 at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre)