MG ROAD: Srikala Gangi Reddy debuts as an artist with her show inspired by Nrityagram’s dancers and their journey. Srikala’s works pay a rich tribute to their unrelenting passion and will be displayed at the Art Centre, 1 MG Mall from March 25 to 29.Taking a sabbatical from her hectic life in the IT industry, Srikala poured herself into her present show, ‘A walk down a winding path’ that celebrates the sublime aesthetics of the Odissi dance form and captures the human body in all its grace.
Presented by Niviriti-The Art Quarter, the show is a result of the influences Srikala imbibed from her stint as a student at the Expression School of Fine Arts and later as an observer of the Nrityagram way of life. It all began when she visited Nrityagram and interacted with the resident dancers.
Srikala says, “I was fortunate to have been able to watch Surupa Sen and Bijayini Satpathy in the midst of a rendition. It seemed like they could dance for hours oblivious of the audience around them. The experience was awe inspiring and something struck a chord and I felt connected with their energy.”
The inspiration lingered and led to the idea of presenting on canvas their dedication, passion and the aesthetics of their dance. She adds, “I have tried to capture the dancers’ world and to show you their unrelenting passion, sheer hard work, their belief in a dream and the pursuit of keeping it alive despite all odds. I look up to them for this and find a resonance within.”
Her works rendered in acrylic, oil on canvas and charcoal, capture postures or mudras, expressions or bhavas and more. Each art piece is a story expressing the minutiae of a creative life with the interplay of light and shadows.
Srikala says, “This show is about a desire and a passion for perfection, mine and the dancers’. Every moment and mood I have captured is perfect, complete in itself and needs no more drama or effects to describe it. Sometimes in life, you experience a moment where everything falls into place just right. These are those moments.” She continues, “The madness and wild impulses which are there in my life may inspire my next series, but not this one! Like a beautifully draped sari, like a garland of flowers, like the fine filigree of a necklace, like an inviting glance, these moments too are not overdone or understated. This is controlled, planned, perfected grace.”
‘A walk down a winding path’ will feature 30 artworks and says Srikala, “For me, art is a process of introspecting, exploring, learning, creating and also engaging with the environment around in new ways.”