The burst of colours inside Delhi’s Triveni Art Gallery compensates for the gloom outside. In the rain-soaked surrounding of the gallery, the vibrant juxtaposition of richly saturated colours, forming myriad design manipulations, leads you to modern art exhibit Pictorial Exotica’s contrastingly understated artist Deepti Gupta. She stands in a corner, wearing a soft smile. It broadens as we take steps towards her. This is her first solo exhibition.
It’s the first time she’s got a room where her mind is allowed to express freely. The walls tell her personal story. The air is filled with her individual spirit of creativity, and the space reverberates with the songs of her soul.
On July 21, Gupta first entered the room at the cultural, arts and education centre, and viewed her work dispassionately. There was one life-size riot of colours on an acrylic canvas that called out to her. It was a painting of Ganesha, standing atop a truck. “It seemed to be showering blessings on me for the commencement of my exhibition. I smiled at it, and more reassured, I started greeting visitors who had begun to line outside,” says the 32-year-old artist.
A graduate of College of Art in Delhi, Gupta went on to do her Master’s in Painting from Jiwaji University in Gwalior. She’s also been a lecturer. “Teaching is something I would consider for the money. At the end of the day, art doesn’t sell like hot cakes. It takes time and a lot of patience, but in the meantime, everyone must earn a living,” she says.
Gupta’s latest set of sharply fashioned works displays a keen association with the outdoors, especially wildlife. Kingfisher, peacock and hoopoe share the same wall in the display. Another one is devoted to cows and lions. In future, she would like to focus more on cows and birds. “Every morning, the first bread made in our house is fed to the cows. This daily activity has developed a bond between me and the animal. It has also sensitised me to their plight,” shares the Delhi-based artist. How they’ve become the greatest symbol for hypocrisy is what she feels terrible about. “On the one hand, she’s revered as God. On the other, she’s slaughtered,” Gupta says in a grim voice.
Birds bring a more positive narrative to her mind. These little chirpy, feathery creatures symbolise liberation. As she watches them fly in the vast blue sky, her happy heart too sores high. When she was in Australia for an art residency programme, gregarious little sparrows would surround her breakfast table each morning and compel her to part with her breakfast. “They taught me sharing. The simple act of eating with them made me realise how sharing was a godly virtue, whether it was done with human being, animals or birds,” she says.
While cows fill her heart with compassion and birds fuel generosity, there is one person that does a lot more. He is Gupta’s mentor, artist Swapan Bhandary. “Nature has taught me all about life and Swapan sir has taught me all about art. He took my hand and showed me the way. I dedicate this show and all the others that I will showcase to this one man,” she says.
On till July 31, at Triveni Art Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, Mandi House, New Delhi