CHENNAI: An intricately drawn landscape, with a touch of green, yellow and blue forms the scene of a mountain range. Closer inspection shows hundreds of little trees, drawn in scattered patterns across the paper, and a large, silvery leaf, screams out from the middle of the canvas.Bengali artist Sohini Dhar displayed her series of miniatures, called Dwelling Beyond the Walls of Time and Space, at Artworld Gallery, Nandanam on Monday. Her art focuses on her relationship and love for nature although she claims to be no environmentalist. She continues to stress the need for a sustainable mindset.
“I was lucky to be raised in Shantiniketan as we were taught to be one with nature. When it rained, we used close our textbooks and look at the it from the window. I still remember watching the raindrops falling and making a splash when they hit the ground — it looked like a Victorian-era crown,” said the 55-year-old artist. To her, art is a way to affect people’s lives for the better and she hopes that her works leave a lasting impact on those who see it.
A student of Padma Vibhushan awardee K G Subramanyan, she remembers her tradition of greeting every season with festivals and celebration, just as Rabindranath Tagore used to preach. Although she moved out of Shantiniketan after her marriage, she reiterates the importance of nature in her life. “Nature to me is my respite, my recluse. Through my art and form, I try to create a dialogue with it. My interpretation and understanding of nature has changed with the degradation of nature. Most of my use of metallic colours — you see that silver leaf over there — is to show how nature is fading away of nature. But as an artist, we always try to see the positive side of things,” said the History of Art teacher from Rabindra Bharati University.
When painting, Sohini goes into a meditative state, and attempts to objectify nature in the way it appeals to her. Romantic and vibrant, her art shows the natural world as one that is deceptively simple but, with layers of life and emotions hidden away. “Children must learn art from a young age. Art requires no grammar or rules. With the colours and brushes, you can do whatever you feel like. With less restrictions and more liberty, I feel that children can be free to be more creative and learn more about the world around them,” said Sohini.
In touch with mother nature
A student of Padma Vibhushan awardee K G Subramanyan, Sohini Dhar remembers her tradition of greeting every season with festivals and celebration, just as Rabindranath Tagore used to preach. When painting, Sohini goes into a meditative state, and attempts to objectify nature in the way it appeals to her