CHENNAI: A celebration of nature and life patterns laced in metallic paint catches your attention when you walk into Apparao Galleries, Nungambakkam. Artist Bhavna Sonawane’s works, ‘The World According to Bhavna’, are pure reflections of fantasy landscapes that she wishes to see.
“I am fascinated by the dominance of nature. Since I am from Mumbai, the city life has taken over and that’s what I have reflected in my paintings,” she says pointing to a painting of endless lines, which depict different power cables and other wires disrupting the landscape view of nature.
“I am sure all of us have witnessed this. Sometimes you’ll see a beautiful sunset or sunrise while travelling and but as you drive down, a bunch of wires will disrupt the view! Frustrating isn’t it?” asks the artist who graduated from J J School of Art in Mumbai with first class honors in 2002. Inspired by the lifestyle in Mumbai, she shares “Urban life has become chaotic, every house has a grill and there is a lot of visual pollution. My paintings reflect that in a semi-realistic way.”
Shimmering textures and hand-painted petals interweaved with buildings are a visual treat. “People point to the buildings and say that they look European and the domes look a bit Persian. But honestly I don’t know! I start painting and in the end that’s what it looks like,” she smiles, and talks about the unusual insects and animals that find their way in her work.
“I travelled to Paris once for an exhibition. Guess what I missed most about our country? The insects! It might sound odd but the smallest organisms are part of our cycle and without them, mankind will perish,” says the 38-year-old artist.
A plethora of bright reds, warm oranges, calm blues, vibrant greens and soothing whites are the dominating metallic and acrylic colours in her work. She says, “Everyone has a unique identity and for me it’s the usage of these metallic colours that make my work even richer,” she says pointing to a glittering moon image brushed with metallic paint.
Inspired by the works of Swiss-German artist Paul Klee, Bhavna says, “I was inspired by his works when I was a student and he remains one of my biggest inspirations. Especially the tangled lines, which give the expression of a musical notes are some of the inspired work.”
A writer-cum-artist, Bhavna has also experimented with the ancient Modi script in her paintings. A landscape painting of a mountain and a lake has the word ‘water’ written in different scripts over the blue lake. “The script is an element in my work and I write my thoughts or a verse that reflects the painting to fill and complete my work,” she explains.
The artist, who has a residency in Paris sponsored by Point Ephemere at Cite International des Arts, says that art is a form of meditation for her.
(Bhavana’s works are on display at Apparao Galleries, Nungambakkam until Aril 28. For details, call 9686112078)