BENGALURU:Aspiring for a better lifestyle and excitement, a group of girls and women from a small town decide to go around the world all by themselves. What distinguish them from others are their ethnic and traditional Indian clothes and dark sunglasses or ‘kala chashma’. This is the unusual theme for the latest series of oils on canvas by artist Archana Anand. And perhaps in ways more than one, these figures in the series ‘Kala Chashma’ reflect her own aspirations, dreams and desires.
The Bengaluru-based self-taught artist paints in an ethereal surrealistic manner, superimposed by elements of nature, by submerging oil colour on canvas with numerous layers, details, expressive brushstrokes and vigorous bursts of colours. An MBA graduate, Archana started selling her artwork since 2012. She was introduced to art when she saw a huge pandal adorned with artworks and lights, while she was returning from school one day. She saw the statue of Goddess Durga against a backdrop of paintings. “I was fascinated by this sight and decided to experiment with colours, medium and different surfaces. I practiced extensively, so much in fact, that I would skip the recess to have more time to draw and sketch,” she says.
Coming from a small town in Jharkhand called Maithon, she defied the traditional mindset that believes art cannot be a full-time career. After the success of her solo art show and group shows last year, she decided to quit her corporate job and become a full-fledged artist. Her art focusses on optimism, dreams, longing, love, pain, happiness, and self-discovery.Her Kala Chashma, is being held at her studio-gallery on Bannerghatta Road till July 15. For more details, visit her FB page ArchanaDArtist.