Delana Gladis is unabashedly an abstract artist. Figurative art has lost its charm on her eons ago while she was still doing her Fine Arts degree. And her oeuvres are testimonials of that.
Walk into ‘Inside-Out’, Delana’s debut painting exhibition being held at Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan in the capital city, and you could trace her switch from a skilled figurative artist to finding a signature style in abstractism. However, what may strike you at a glance is neither the abstractism nor the enticing colours, but the lavish usage of geometric shapes. And she agrees instantly.
“Yes, I have a soft corner for geometric shapes. Even when I do figurative works these shapes appear unannounced,” Delana says with a smile. Rather than going berserk over shapes, Delana sticks to one or two elements, making best use of them in myriad ways. When painting mundane subjects such as a sun or a window, her love for vibrancy works in her favour. Splurging eclectic colours she makes them vivid and pleasing to the eye.
“The subjects I know inside-out are being explored in depth on my canvases. Some of the paintings belong to the ‘Reflections’ series I have been working on for the past year,” says Delana. Though Delana has a fine arts degree, she has been devoting her time for her family and job for the past few years.
She brings a whole new flavour into the art world with her distinctive style of drawing. But there are glimpses of realism in her takes of African tribes and Indian women carrying water pots. Both works painted in subtle browns to emulate earthiness, grabs your eyeballs in a jiffy. However, Delana brushes of it by saying those are my old works. But even in such realistic imagery, she exhibits her penchant for shapes.
Her fish stroked in three canvases sparkles with exquisite reds, greens and yellows. On another canvas she paints numerous circles dripping with gobs of colours. Men wearing stilts could reach up to the skyscraper blocks, for smaller men they seem tall with much achievements to boast of, but the truth is far from it, delineates one of Delana’s works. Her paintings showcase a perfect balance of craft and colours. With her adept brushstrokes Delana paints contours and designs in her own unique style. On an enormous canvas she brings a sun who spreads his light in rays of crimson reds, Prussian blues and lemon yellows.
Adamantly staying away from the lure of realism, Delena makes sure to add more steam to every subject she handles. Taking the less-trodden route of abstract art, this artist dabbles with societal subjects by using circles, lines, squares and rectangles.
“I have done some works for interiors. Hence, some such works do not hold much meaning. Their purpose is to give some light, life and colour to the room,” quips Delana
Her paintings, though done in acrylic do not have its shining instead they have a rare matte finish effect. Ask her how she achieves that. And she lets you in to her little secret - ‘talcum powder’. She mixes talcum powder with the acrylic paints to remove glossiness from her works.
The exhibition which was inaugurated by S Ajeetha Begum IPS on September 18 will conclude on September 22.