CHENNAI: Women’s identity and independence come across colourfully in Nandini R Nair’s paintings. Small Talk — Voices to be heard, a solo exhibition by the artist will be displayed till June 30 at The Folly, Amethyst. Around 50 paintings will be on display. “The paintings are mostly figurative ones. People will find work in watercolours, pen, ink and acrylic which for the most part will be contemporary style. Most of the paintings have women in varied forms and these women are in an identifiable style. The audience can interpret each painting in different ways. I believe that the paintings will communicate the sense of freedom women would love to experience and hold on to,” says the artist.
The paintings represent women in different entities on their independence, individuality and originality. Through the paintings, the artist portrays the importance of self-identity which is extremely difficult for a woman to discover when there are a number of prejudices and perceptions around her on how she should be. Understanding such prejudices, therefore, becomes important so that every woman realises what they do to her and to know that she doesn’t need to be validated by others around her.
The title Small Talk insinuates the artist’s thoughts on how human beings connect through deep conversations. “Most of the times, I feel an urge to break the barrier of small talk and converse with the people I meet. But it doesn’t happen that often. However, small talk can also help in understanding people and relationships because of the subtle hints given away during the conversations. Small talk might have a negative connotation in the usual parlance. But they are not always irrelevant chatter. They will have revelations about who we are under our skin and as women we should always engage in small talk and stand by each other and talk our heart out,” she says.
Nandini’s previous works have also been featured in various publications in Kerala. The paintings showcased at the exhibition are the translation of the artist’s unspoken words. “Visitors will find a bit of myself as I believe that art becomes an extension of one’s personality,” she says.