CHENNAI: Colourful paintings — from portraits to charcoal, murals and sculptures, they have it all. While strokes of earthy colours dominate some, others have vibrant shades of violet, blue and yellow. And the brains behind these works are three self-taught artists Annapurna Narasimhan, Chithra Santosh, who are homemakers, and Sai Selva who has worked in the automobile industry. They put together Thanga Thoorigai, an art exhibition that is being showcased at Hotel Ambassador Pallava.
Annapurna Narasimhan
I have been passionate about art since childhood, but I couldn’t pursue it seriously as my father wanted me to do BCom. Years later, when my children grew up, I realised something was missing in my life. I decided to take up art seriously. I conducted my first exhibition in 2015. This is my sixth exhibition here and I have chosen the theme — ‘Gods and Goddesses’. I have worked with a variety of mediums such as acrylic, watercolours and pastels. I have mostly done sculptures and murals. Though I love working with acrylic, I would like to dabble in watercolours in the future. It is a very challenging medium because it is difficult to control the colour white here. Chithra Santosh
Even as a child, I’d observe different photos and artwork in magazines and papers, and later try to recreate them. It was only through constant experimenting that I learnt the nuances and techniques. I have exhibited different works here including oil, acrylic and charcoal. Charcoal is my favourite medium as it is easy to work with. Though I have done a couple of landscapes, primarily, most of my works will include portrait. I like working with different faces and expressions. My first exhibition was done two years back, with my sons, who are artists themselves.
Sai Selva
I used to paint actively in school, but I had to focus on studies, and work in the automobile industry. When I took a sabbatical about three years back, I decided to follow my passion again. I had been collating all my works since school, and this is my first exhibition. My works are inspired by my thoughts, dreams and visuals. Even when I meditate, I get visions asking me to paint something.
Although I am comfortable working with acrylics, I experiment with all mediums including oil, charcoal, pencil and even watercolours. I love working with colours, and most of my works, including my charcoal works, will see different colour tones, other than just black and white.