Women are not defined by looks and the roles that they play. They are beautiful and strong in their own way, says artist Rhea Shah in her note. Three of her paintings have been featured in an e-catalogue dedicated to women artists brought out by Art Grooves, an online art forum.
‘Shakti’ by Ambika Kapoor Vij
While the first painting in the series shows a little girl, whose innocent eyes are full of wonder; the second portrays a businesswoman, who looks proud and confident and the third is of a dancer, who has quit a high paying job to pursue her passion. “My paintings reflect women from different walks of life,” says Rhea.
Released online on International Women’s Day (March 8), the e-catalogue contains the works of 14 Indian women artists. Conceived by Mumbai-based artist Poornima Dayal, the e-catalogue is a way to encourage and inspire women who have been consistently contributing to art. “Art has always been a great medium for women to express their thoughts and emotion. Though there is no gender difference when it comes to art, it is important to create a space for women artists to share their stories of inspiration,” says Poornima.
‘Siya’ by Poornima Dayal
Art Grooves, which she founded, is a platform for artists to exhibit their work and discuss them with other like-minded individuals. Initiated as a lockdown experiment, when galleries were shut and emerging artists found it difficult to showcase their work, Art Grooves will continue even after galleries open, says Poornima.
The broad theme of the catalogue is “Women’s Strength”, but artists have explored a range of subjects related to the feminine — divinity, empathy, fortitude, sensuality and power. It contains a few artworks of each artist, along with a small note from them on what it means being a woman. Some of them have written short poems as well.
The e-catalogue can be accessed at https://bit.ly/3c68p04
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