CHENNAI: Vivid Pattachitra artworks of Radha and Krishna gilded with Thanjavur gold leaf foil and stone embellishments by Tejasmi Honey, a city-based artist, gives us a taste of the medley of artworks which will be on display at her first solo exhibition at Art Houz. “I believe in expressions and art. In my first solo show, I have attempted something different by fusing two traditional styles of art — Thanjavur paintings and Pattachitra,” she says.
The artist, whose exhibit opens on Tuesday, knew she was hooked on to painting the first time she blended colours together, in 2002. “I am from a political family in Odisha and I grew up fighting for the rights of women and people from marginalised sections. So, it came as a surprise to me when I realised that I have an artistic streak,” she shares.
Her husband, Ashok Das, joined the Tamil Nadu Cadre, Indian police service in 1995, and Tejasmi shifted to Tamil Nadu. “In 2002, when my husband was posted in Ramanathapuram, I became curious about painting. That was the first time I enjoyed brushing on canvas,” she recalls. Later, Tejasmi, along with her family, shifted to Thanjavur for over a year and that’s when she learned the nuances of the art form. “In fact, I was lucky to learn it from young artists who belonged to the traditional art families there. It was an enriching experience,” she shares.
The artist is currently based out of Chennai and calls herself a ‘pucca Tamilian’. “We have been in Tamil Nadu since 1995, so it’s safe to say that I am Tamilian...with roots in Odisha. The love for the two cultures was one of the reasons I wanted to blend the two art forms. I learned some basic Pattachitra in school and college, so I wasn’t new to the art form,” she says.
Her artworks are based on ‘Radha-Krishna’ theme. “My works are a representation of the memories of Radha. I draw and paint what I see through her eyes. Earlier, I had done about 18 Thanjavur paintings which were destroyed in the 2015 floods. So, this is a resurrection of sorts,” she says. Apart from the protagonists, the canvas is filled with details of trees, birds, monkeys, elephants, tigers, ‘sakhis’, celebrating life and joy in all tangible forms, some etched in gold and the rest in detail of strokes of the brushes.
Plunging into art
The artist knew she was hooked on to painting the first time she blended colours together, in 2002. “I am from a political family in Odisha and I grew up fighting for the rights of women and people from marginalised sections. So, it came as a surprise to me when I realised that I have an artistic streak,” she shares.
More than 30 paintings will be on display
The exhibition will be inaugurated on July 24, 6.30pm at Art Houz