Artistic voices find space on vibrant canvases at this exhibition in the Capital

A master often guides a student. But, when the master lets the student develop his/her own identity that’s when unique styles come up. This can be witnessed in the canvases on display at the group exhibition titled Individual Palettes. The works show how artists have found their individual styles, and how the masters have let the students play with their creativity.

Curated by Rameshwar Broota, this exhibition features works of 21 artists including Vasundhara Tewari Broota, Shruti Gupta Chandra, Surinder Kaur, Meena Deora, Satish Sharma, Sanjay Roy, Alka Jhamb, and Anju Kaushik, among others.

“Be strong” and “hold it together” is the message that artist Vasundhara Tewari Broota conveys through her oil on canvas titled Holding It Together. “The pose is symbolic of our lives, and [especially] women’s lives, of not losing ground. It’s actually a handstand, a yoga pose. It’s poise despite being upside down,” she says.

For Delhi-based artist Meena Deora, art is about becoming “one with it”. Her artwork titled Transcendental 1 — a mixed media on paper — depicts freedom. “There are birds and humans. People are trying to fly. It gives me a high when I am working on a canvas. Humans can be stronger from inside,” says Deora. But it’s not all that she paints. “Sometimes, I use horses, which gives me strength,” she adds.

Artist Meena Deora with her artwork Transcedental 1, which is a mixed media on paper. ( Prabhas Roy/HT )

While paintings figures may have taken a back seat for the National Award winning artist Shruti Gupta Chandra, she has also explored the concept of “limitless space” in her paintings for this show. “If I look back, the figures was predominant. And now it’s gone all together,” she shares. Her acrylic and oil on canvas artwork titled Somewhere To Go, showcases a rooftop and a staircase. “I wanted to show space. There is a suggestion of clouds at the back. and an intrinsic quest of man... How it’s there and is limitless. And in doing that, it takes life of its own. The mystery has to be alive, [hence] the hanging checked fabric representing a man trying to climb the staircase,” she says.

Artist Satish Sharma with his works on display at the exhibition. ( Prabhas Roy/HT )

Emotions and movements are prevalent in paintings of artist Valentina Churilova. Her oil on canvas artwork titled Parting of the Sea, depicts the struggle “between ego and super-ego”. “My work shows how a person is crossing through dualities of ego and super-ego, and crossing the material attachments. How our mind is trying to tell our story through physical objects. It reflects the journey that I have made as an artist and a seeker. I was influenced by Indian traditional storytelling. Since I have received training in Europe, my work is an amalgamation of traditional classical painting technique,” says Churilova, who received her training from the Shevchenko State Art School of Kiev in Ukraine.

Curator Rameshwar Broota says, “Their teacher is one but the [artists] thinking, style, and mannerism are different. Each artist has maintained their individuality in their mediums. Hence, it was not difficult to choose [artworks]. And that has been the purpose of my teaching, too.”

First Published: Mar 15, 2019 18:13 IST