Brushing dreams on canvas

BENGALURU: Mumbai-based artist Priya Gaekwar’s ‘An Uncommon Canvas’, an abstract artwork collection, is the result of the nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic. She claims that the lockdown gave her an opportunity to colour some of her pending dreams on canvas. Gaekwar said that the current exhibition portrays her progress in painting. “There were a number of ideas in my mind which were waiting to be expressed. The lockdown provided the much-needed free time to paint some canvases,” says Gaekwar, who was born in Bengaluru.

The artwork collection which is Gaekwar’s first-ever solo exhibition is curated and exhibited at gallery g on Lavelle Road till August 7. “I believe we are a collection of our journeys. Eventually, it brings us to the resting spot. After trying varied career options, I have settled on painting as I like to express myself on paper using vibrant colours,” says Gaekwar, who shares a close bond with the garden city.

Hailing from a royal family of Gaekwars from Baroda, Gaekwar aspired to become an interior designer from a very young age. During her schooling in England, she discovered her inclination towards art. She has worked with some of the finest interior designers in Mumbai. And, to widen her design experience, she tried her hand at graphics, furniture, web, and print design.

Later, she shifted to a career in luxury retail with Louis Vuitton. “Along with art and interior designing, I love the managerial aspect of work and hence, grabbed the opportunity of working with the iconic brand Louis Vuitton in 2006,” says Gaekwar, adding that she was exposed to different designs and travelled extensively. “It was a life-changing experience as it helped me explore my creativity,” she explains.

“Her brother and my father-in-law, the late Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad trained at the Royal College of Art, London, and was an accomplished and versatile artist whose works grace many prestigious collections. In this generation, we are happy to see the tradition percolate further to Priya Gaekwar. Priya’s artistic flair lies in her play of colours and abstraction, with her design sensitivity tinting every work,” says Maharani Radhikaraje Gaekwar, her sister-in-law.Gallerist Gitanjali Maini, MD at gallery g, says, “I have known Priya and her family for over 25 years. She has always been inclined towards art and has been passionately involved in it. Her sense of aesthetics was always commendable.”