The beautiful chaos called nature

In her first solo exhibition, artist Remya Kumar has explored the myriad facets of the tantalising element called nature. With vibrant colours and a vivid sense of detail, Remya Kumar captures nature in its chaotic self

She says with a sense of delight, “If you observe nature closely there is a sense of chaos in it always, either in the form of leaves or trees that sway in the breeze. There is a beauty in that chaos. In my art, I have tried to portray the same thing.”

An architect by profession, painting is something that ‘happened’ to Remya when she was studying in the US during the recession. “I have always been drawing and painting since I was a kid. However, it was limited to imitating works and I could do it perfectly. I always stayed away from creativity, fearing self-criticism. Somehow, we all tend to be harsh about ourselves. But when I was in the US, all that changed after the recession hit the job market,” she says.That period in the USA propelled a burst of creativity, as Remya came up with a flurry of works. She returned to India, following a personal distress that made her concentrate just on art. “I poured myself into painting and came up with new pieces of art almost every day,” she says.

A chance visit to an art camp in Trivandrum exposed her to a whole new world. It was there that Remya met renowned artist Ilango. The feedback she received for her work was encouraging and he asked her be a resident artist in his studio. “I learnt a lot under him throughout the eight months that I was in Chennai. I was at his studio all day; the first one to open the place and the last one to leave. It was a great learning experience,” she says.

So, how is the art climate for women in India? Remya says, “Personally, I haven’t had the conflict that other women probably face, when they decide to take up arts as a profession. I gave up my job as an architect and took the plunge. I didn’t have to worry about how I would manage to put food on the table. However, I have heard from Ilango Sir that many women do not take up art because of the struggle it involves. It takes a while for people to make it big in this field.”

Pointing to the change in approach towards struggle, when it concerns women, she says, “But, we do not notice the struggle of women unless it is a single woman trying to prove her mettle. A struggling male artist is always noticed, though.”

Visual Symphony is on display at Vinnyasa Premier Art Gallery, 21/ 11, 1st Main Road, CIT Colony, Mylapore till March 9

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