CHENNAI: It’s a warm Monday afternoon and we are on our way to Gallery Veda @ Shilpa Architects, located in Thiruvanmiyur.
A painting exhibition titled ‘Flight of Fancy’ is on at the venue we are heading to and the very thought of art works created using diverse media like oil pastels, acrylic colours and tempera makes us extremely impatient. And as we rush and make an entry into the gallery, we are transcended to a different plane altogether. A trance-like feel takes us over and grips us completely. Our eyes turn to the extreme right of the gallery, where three large paintings by artist Isaiarasi are hung on the wall. Having a look at the paintings, we find that all of them have a magical touch. And among the 40-odd paintings present at the gallery, these three capture our attention.
The paintings by Isaiarasi are soulful, and without any doubt, a feast for the eyes. Her first painting titled, ‘Innerself’ portrays a man painted in dark blue. The soul of the man is wonderfully depicted by a blob of matter that rises from within his body. It’s as if the painting depicts the unison of the mind, body and soul.
Among the other two, the painting titled ‘Transcendence’ has us captivated. It portrays a man trying to enter a dark tunnel. And the very look of the painting enthralls us completely.
A painting by artist Saira Banu is highly intriguing as well. The oil on the canvas depicts three women dressed in orange robes, walking. However, their faces aren’t clear. Says Saira, “This painting is a part of a series titled ‘The Humble Life Series’. The painting itself reflects my state of mind. I choose the colours based on my mood. Also, I used a palette knife to come up with this particular art work.” She elaborates, “I chose orange and red because I actually wanted to show that the not-so-privileged, some like the ones who go for plucking tea leaves, are bold indeed. Though they are not celebrated, their lives do impact our own.” Interestingly, the artist tells us she likes painting women without faces because she wants the onlookers to interpret the emotions of the women, themselves. “So, it takes some effort on the part of the viewer as well,” she says.
We also have a look at the paintings by Jaya Javeri, titled ‘Fire in the Sky’. And true to its name, the colour combination used by the author (red, orange and yellow) illuminates the world around. There are monuments in her paintings that seem to be ignited by the spark in the sky. A bright sun forms a part of both the paintings, thereby igniting the sky. “I paint pictures with architectural techniques. And I love using bright colours like orange, yellow and red in my paintings. They are Indian colours and are dazzling, thus symbolising life and energy. Also, the sun forms an integral part of most of my paintings. One reason why I like painting the sun is because it forms an integral part of the Hindu religion and the other reason is, it symbolises positivity,” Jaya says, adding, “For me, emotions of positivity and liveliness are very important.”
The exhibition is on at Gallery Veda @ Shilpa Architects, Thiruvanmiyur, till January 15. The paintings are for sale.