Over the past seven years, Anuj Prasad created his artwork with only pens and watercolour paints over stolen time after dinners. It was during this process that he discovered the power of lines and precision in an artwork, a silent nod to his training in design and engineering. His latest exhibition, ‘Mystic Miniatures,’ held at the India Habitat Centre, Prasad talks of his spiritual world, his self-discovery leading him onto minute detailing.
Now, against the pristine walls of the gallery, the mini paintings hang in groups, each a depiction of the different phases of his thoughts. A cluster of miniatures from afar does not give away much until Prasad pulls out a magnifying glass from the stand and zooms in on the details. “Each artwork made of water, colour, ink, and oil, evokes a conversation related to life. The base is water colour, but I have also used fine pens. The detailing has been done by using 30 and 50 micron pens,” he says.
Inward journey
Prasad believes the paintings are ‘mystic’ because they express his extremely intuitive thought process. Most paintings in the exhibit were done “without a pre-thought”, he says. “Intuition would mean that one starts painting with a stroke of brush and then they keep evolving over time. And as they evolve, they keep getting meaning added to it. Mysticism comes very naturally to me. Introspection and inward journeys intrigue me and so these paintings are based on mystic thoughts relating to that. The expression is intuitive. It’s something out of nothing,” he adds.
In one such work, titled ‘Breathless,’ one can see lines drawn across the frame. In between its zig-zag pattern, there are blotches of colours, giving an impression of a broken mirror. Detailed sketches of automotives, faces, animals take up space, connecting everything together.
“This is made in one single stroke. I did not lift the pen while making it. So, you can’t see the start and end of it. But just one single stroke it is and that’s the way it has flown. It’s a connected world in the painting. It’s a concept which is based on the way we live our life, without any pause. It almost beckons viewers to take a pause in the hustle-bustle,” he explains.
Universal appeal
While some paintings reflect on the artist’s view of life and spirit, others explore the universe. An artwork titled ‘Silos’ catches the eye. Against the blue backdrop, perhaps depicting the vast universe, large globes of orange spot the miniature. Large human figures are seen lounging inside the blobs. The orange and blue contrast resembles scenes from a sci-fi film, adding to its universal appeal.
“The orange balloons here are Silos. We live in silos and we think we are the grandest creatures to work the earth. More often than not, we think we are the greatest in her respective surroundings. In reality, however, when you see the larger world, we are nothing but a speck of dust. It reflects that bloated sense of self and reminds us that one needs to break out from these balloons,” the artist says.
Prasad has depicted everyday life in minute details and hopes viewers find meaning in the mundane and delve deeper in search of truth. “My artworks aim to help them seek what lies within them rather than searching for it outside,” he says.
Habitat Centre, till September 25, 11am to 7pm