KOCHI: When one steps into the Indriyam Art Gallery at Mattancherry for the exhibition ‘Visions’, one can’t help notice the various mediums used by the women artists to exhibit their work. Anju Acharya (who prefers to use this name) is one such artist who has used natural materials like flower extract, charcoal, human hair and thread to create masterpieces.
Anju says she fell in love with the concept of paintings during her childhood. Born to a blacksmith family, the artist was always fascinated by the works her father used to do. “When I was a child, I used to watch my father work. It taught me how to do quality art, one needs to work hard,” said Anju.
“ I work on mediums like rice paper-base which is very delicate, I feel I am working on my skin. The rice paper base lends transparency to these materials and the art is reflected by the use of these materials. I tend to think and re-think an image, draw and redraw it over and over again. There is always an element of surprise in the outcome of the image,” said Anju.
For her unique artistic works, she has won many awards such as the Prafulla Foundation South zone bronze-ceramic category, Prafulla Foundation merit award for drawing and the student’s Biennale National Award in 2017. She never puts titles for her work. “I do not like to title my work because I feel they tend to limit, frame and suffocate my works unnecessarily.” Other women artists like Shanthakumari E N,Vani N M, state award winner Sindhu Divakaran,Deepa Gopal Suni, Minimol M N,Jayashree P G and many others have exhibited their paintings. The exhibition will be on till August 24.