Doctor-cum-artist explores hues of life

Thiruvananthapuram: A dental surgeon by profession and an artist by passion, Dr Shalet M S opens doors to her inner world of perceptions and emotions at her first solo exhibition ‘Intrinsic Escape’ at Museum Art Gallery. An ardent observer of the world around her, Shalet draws inspiration from mostly two things the people she meets and the trees.
“I’ve always been driven to colours by the sheer turbulence in my mind. It could be about the plight of people having the short end of the stick like those who are oppressed, those differentiated on grounds of caste, colour or gender. Or it could be about something as simple as the hues of sunset and the expanse of giant trees,” she said.
“I remember having a patient once. She was partially blind and on the verge of becoming completely blind. Yet she was curious to see more before that happens. That stayed with me all throughout,” says Shalet for whom colours became the preferred voice to express herself.
Shalet has not shied away from presenting the ugliness of reality, its multifaceted truths and horror. An example could be her paintings highlighting ‘women as rooted birds’, flapping their wings hard to fly high above the glass ceiling of possibilities.
The artist is aware that abstract art is not everybody’s cup of tea. But that fascinates her too. “Each colour has its own politics. It is complicated. What seems holy to one is chaotic to another,” she added.
The exhibition, which is open from 10am to 6pm, will conclude on Sunday.