Priyanka Poogalia’s art is as bold and refreshing as some of her opinions about woman. The most noticeable aspects of the paintings is the specific way she chooses to draw her women. She expertly captures the subtle nuances of her subjects’ physiognomies through the use of acrylic on canvas and charcoal in her paintings and drawings. A corporate employee turned artist, for Priyanka it’s been a journey of rediscovering herself through expressions in paint. Acclaimed by Nobel Peace Laureates during exhibition held to promote the Culture and Art for Peace and Non-Violence in 2001 at Madurai, this Hyderabad-based artist has only become stronger and bolder in her artistic representation. Speaking to City Express, she tells us more about her work process and her upcoming show titled Soulmate.
Working from life
Her stint with a women’s NGO left a lasting impression in her mind and heart. “Art has always been my first love and as a result, destiny brought me back to the brush. I decided to seriously pursue it undeterred despite a lucrative corporate background. I started arts as a passion and only later entered into the professional league of contemporary artists”, begins the 37 year-old.
“Painting fills me with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, and has proven to be the most amenable vehicle for translating my inner vision and thoughts into a more concrete outer reality,” she adds.
Art and artist
For Priyanka, portraits are much more of a collaboration or interchange between the artist and the subject. “In shadows when I remained, art drew me towards the light of existence and gave a new meaning to my being,” she shares. Having worked in the dreary confines of a corporate structure, Priyanka has developed an innate sense of understanding of her surroundings.
“From the beginning, the process of transforming what one sees and absorbs from one’s surroundings onto a canvas has struck me as magical. And, over the years, that magical process has had its way with me, leading me from what was initially just a hobby, to more serious art fuelled by a need to creatively express.”
Why woman?
In-depth knowledge of fabric and textures acquired as a textile graduate coupled with a subject as deep as woman has positioned her to showcase depth in her paintings.
“Nothing represents spectrum of life wider than womanhood. Essence of all expressions love, hate, dedication, and deceit that a woman represent, makes the soul of my art work. My paintings often weave inter-related experiences from a woman’s life,” says the artist. “Regardless of what the subject is, I feel that it has to ‘speak to me’ in some way, to bring it out on a canvas. I feel I owe it to myself to paint. An inner drive exists, which makes painting a passion for me,” she adds.
Other than women
“Almost everything, like the rain, beautiful flowers, scenic natural landscape, clouds and even weird things like traffic jams, water shortage and dark rooms in absence of electricity, they all intrigue me and capture my artistic interest,” says Priyanka.
Limited palette
Her style of work begins with an outline done with charcoal and and then fills it in with paint, working with acrylic on canvas. Her usual colour palette includes red, black and white. “If you see my collection, it’s very obvious that its red, black and white. I see red not just as colour but as true reflection of strength, elegance and grace. It blends well with happiness and sorrow, celebration and memorials,” says the artist, whose series Soulmate is a stark display of colours that define a woman.
Pointing out that drawing is a non-verbal thinking process, one of the things about charcoal drawing that strikes her is that it is instantly alterable. The flexibility of drawing is what is of importance to her. “My forte is contemporary figurative and abstract art. My favourite medium for paintings is charcoal and acrylic though I experiment with other mediums too. Charcoals are a personal favourite. I find the charm of black and white hard to resist, and the challenge posed by black and white in a world full of colours is as exciting as it is hard to ignore,” she adds.
Reflection on personality
More than interacting with the subject of her art, the essence of Priyanka’s work is a reflection of her personality. “I have been thinking that perhaps I draw what I do to try and recapture myself as woman or maybe just as a tribute to the fun I had as a woman,” she explains, adding, “Being a freelance artist gives me the freedom to nurture my creativity and express myself without any boundaries or the pressure of sales.”
The artist will be unveil her collection ‘Soulmate’ at Poecile Gallery for Fashion and Art, located at Road No.14, Banjara Hills on June 16 at 7 pm. The exhibition features works on women empowerment, human relations and inner conflict and is on display till June 23.