CHENNAI: Are dreams a reflection of our reality? When we sleep, does our dozing soul travel to a spiritual realm, resulting in vivid dreams of unseen places? For long, poets, artists and creatives have pondered and rhapsodised about the concept and rightly so, as the idea has often worked beyond the context of different cultures, morals and points of time.
Despite art history’s depiction of dreams changing and evolving from period to period, creators have constantly worked towards rendering and recording their visions on canvas, to seek answers while giving the audience a peek into its whimsicalities. In her recent work, Mystical Reverie, Delhi-based contemporary figurative artist Alka Choudhary delves into this fanciful world through paintings that tap into a trance-like quality, offering wonderment to its viewers. The uninhibited world of dreaming has been brought to life through 20-odd vivid artworks by Alka, with the ‘dreaming lady’ as the main protagonist. The artworks are on display at the Vennba Art Gallery.
“My main character is a contemporary woman, who tries to navigate through life and is in search of real happiness and love,” shares the artist. In her canvas, bright colours reds, yellows, greens, pinks and blues take centre stage and complex moods of ‘the lady’ are layered through carefully-placed motifs. Through her character’s big eyes and subtle expressions, the artist draws us into a meditative realm. “Nature and associated characters, and symbolisms associated with zodiac signs, often find a place in my paintings.
My work explores the connection and strength I draw from spirituality through nature and astrology. They have a profound impact and influence on my artistic journey,” says Alka, who has been exhibiting her artworks for almost seven years now. A resident of Delhi, Alka often travels back to her formative years which she spent in Didwana, her hometown in Rajasthan, for inspiration, she tells. “Known for its sprawling salt-lake, trade fairs and old temples, of course, a slice of etherealness I communicate through paintings come from there.
Besides the narratives, the colour palette I use is also inspired by the richness of Rajasthan from the clothes women wear, ornaments, pottery, the festivals and everything vibrant,” enthuses the self-taught artist. In her interpretations of the dreaming lady, the eyes become an important tool to communicate the mood. “To me, what is unsaid is often conveyed through the eyes and it becomes an important aspect of all my works,” she adds. Alka, in her next series, will work on developing her collection of imageries representing zodiac signs.
“From the time we are born, we are associated with these signs and they in many ways shape our life. So, my artworks on zodiac signs are close to my heart and I enjoy representing them in ways that are beyond the norm. I pick specific aspects of a sign and paint them on the canvas. For instance, for the Libra female, watermelon is the favourite fruit…so I place it in my canvas and let the viewer ponder over its meaning. Meanings and answers for many complex themes come from a place of simplicity and that’s what my artworks hope to achieve,” she explains.
The exhibition is open until April 2 at Vennba Art Gallery, T Nagar. For details, call: 09884636750 or visit Instagram: @vennba_artgallery