KOCHI: Smiling faces that reveal crooked teeth, wrinkled jawlines, imperfect bodies — these features of the common people she met during her journeys across the country always intrigued self-taught artist Sheeba Manghat. These ‘invisible’ lives and faces have been given an artistic twist in her latest series Life at Random.
The 50-year-old artist who hails from Palakkad is settled in now settled in Thiruvananthapuram. She aims to capture the extraordinary among ordinary lives. Much like Sheeba’s former solo artwork series Glimpses of Kerala in 2010 and Hues of Revival in 2016, Life at Random comprises around six paintings which are also a result of her quest for colours. In 2017, she met an adolescent girl at a handicrafts market in Kutch. Sheeba says this triggered the premise of Life at Random, which is her first series exploring the acrylic medium.
“The little girl was all decked up in a colourful ghagra and choli with fancy jewellery and makeup. But her eyes were missing a twinkle of joy. Rather, they were damp with fear and helplessness. She was selling decor and keepsakes at a street shop in Kutch along with an old man. Her charm that masked her lifeless eyes stayed with me and ended up becoming an inspiration in my creative pursuit,” explains Sheeba, who is also a French tutor.
Her paintings were derived from the experiences she gathered from Kolkata, Haridwar, Goa and Delhi. One of them named Spiritual Vibes of Haridwar shows a busy morning market. It features an interesting play with colours. “Haridwar is a religious space. The bright early morning rays lit up the streets, uplifting the atmosphere there. Though the streets were quite busy, the sunlight added a divine ambience. I love exploring natural light and shades,” says Sheeba.
The people featured on her paintings were inspired by her childhood in Palakkad. During temple festivals, her whole family would get together. This is how more portraits found their way to her paintings. The homemaker became an artist while she was living in Paris between 2001 to 2005. Wife of a retired ISRO scientist and diplomat, Sheeba was exposed to multiple cultures in terms of food and art in Paris.
“The cultural and artistic community there made me explore my creative side. So, I chose to paint as a way to express myself. They turned out to be a platform for introspection and where I go to find answers to my inner spiritual quest,” she adds. Sheeba’s recent artwork which features the lives of flower merchants in Mumbai is also an example of her play with lights and colours. Its undertones, however, reveal the struggle for livelihood that common men go through.