CHENNAI: From the colourful murals on the walls of Kannagi Nagar to the chariot at Valluvar Kottam or the chequered Napier Bridge, art reverberates in the nooks and crannies of the city. These glimpses of art and their many stories have inspired several artists including Swathi Nahar.
The Chennai-based artist recently depicted her love for her land on canvas during a recent exhibition at Pacifica Tech Park, OMR, Chennai on the theme ‘Namma Chennai’. The work on two canvases was a fusion between the traditional roots of Madras and the contemporary culture of Chennai.
Glimpse of heritage
“I got this project through some people from Ahmedabad who appreciated my previous artworks and got in touch asking me to do a canvas depicting traditional and cultural themes. I chose the theme of connecting the roots of traditional and cultural values of Madras to modern-day Chennai,” she says.
Swathi chose two murals — one 7x24 feet and another 7x20 feet — to convey the evolution of modern Chennai in a storylike form. The first painting is a crucible of the cultures of Madras and Chennai. The second painting is about the contemporary state of Tamil Nadu and its historical origins in terms of cultures, festivals, and traditions of various dances, literary stalwarts like Bharathiar, and Thiruvalluvar, Tanjore painting, superstar Rajinikanth, intrinsic to Tamil Nadu’s culture.
After talks with the CEO of Pacifica Tech Park, Swathi’s project was displayed from December 2022 to January 2023. The canvases were on an order basis with the request from Pacifica Tech Park, so it is still available on display at the company.
“This project (which took two months to complete) wouldn’t have been possible without my fellow artist team members — Premraj, Vishwanathan, Vijayshri, and Sarala. The audience at the exhibition was in awe and gave memorable responses to the artist as well. I got a good response and many people appreciated my work and started to order my paintings. They fell in love with my use of colour combinations,” she shares.
“The members who had helped in making the canvases took about 12-14 hours a day despite the weather conditions,” she says.
Showcasing her love for the city, the aesthetic curator depicted various famous landmarks including Egmore Museum, LIC building, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Triumph of Labour Statue, and Valluvar Kottam.
“I was born and brought up in Chennai and I have visited all the places that I drew on the canvas so it wasn’t that difficult for me to depict them,” she says. Bharatanatyam, Karagattam, Oyillatam, and Mayilatam were also part of the canvas reflecting the beauty of traditional folklore dance forms of Tamil Nadu. While drawing these dance forms seemed like a cakewalk, Swathi had much to research to make realistic illustrations.
Expanding boundaries
As artists always experiment with different possibilities to connect with their inner selves, Swathi, too, attempts new techniques ranging from abstract, contemporary, and traditional artwork. “I don’t believe in one pattern of artwork. I want to explore as much as possible so that I can learn from all different techniques, paintings, and colour combinations,” she adds.
For Swathi, abstract paintings are the most feasible to channel her creative energy. Visibility is more prominent and relevant in contemporary techniques and suits the theme and audiences’ immersive experience, especially for the ‘Namma Chennai’ project, she believes.
Interior spaces and items of furniture also fuel her artistic sensibilities. Swathi says, “I take orders, and give suggestions for colour combinations for various interior designs according to the ambiance of the place. From that, I try to connect them for my information for creating my artwork.” Currently, the artist is planning her next exhibition in Paris in June. This time, she will be working mostly on contemporary techniques with a focus on India’s diverse traditions and cultural heritage.
Swathi Nahar was the runner-up at IIW She Inspires Award 2022 under the Bright Artist category. She has also been awarded by FSAI as the best artist and runs a website called ‘Reveal’, which contains her collection of artworks. Her paintings depict the beauty of nature, romance, and peace as a tribute to the revival of vanishing Indian art forms such as Kalamkari, Madhubani, Thanjavur art and Warli art.
2022 Bright Artist category
Swathi Nahar was the runner-up at IIW She Inspires Award 2022 under the Bright Artist category. She has also been awarded by FSAI as the best artist and runs a website called ‘Reveal’, which contains her collection of artworks. Her paintings depict the beauty of nature, romance, and peace as a tribute to the revival of vanishing Indian art forms such as Kalamkari, Madhubani, Thanjavur art and Warli art.