Photography, painting, concept art—Australian expat Lona Logan symbolises creativity. The artist, who has been living in Hyderabad for the past 10 years, is showcasing her work at an exhibition titled Colours of Novotel at Novotel Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC). “I wanted to make local art more visible and give upcoming artists a chance to showcase their pieces. Art deserves to be seen. I always believe in getting art up and hanging, and not sitting at home. There is a wealth of talent India has and it should be out in the public. It’s not just about galleries, but venturing into new territories,” she says.
Colours of Novotel showcases digital work, watercolours, acrylic art, etc. Each show runs for three months, and the ongoing one will continue till January-end. Logan was involved in a group show at Muse Art Gallery at Marriot, the Hyderabad Art Fete, last month. In February 2016, she will participate in the fourth edition of Colours of Novotel at Novotel HICC. She also plans to do something on Indian art in Australia.
“Everyday people and life are my influences. I love to observe capture people in their candid moments. It’s important to develop your own style and do something a little different and experiment,” she says.
When she met 19th century photographer Raja Deen Dayal’s family in Hyderabad, she was fascinated by his library of photographs of India’s past, of royalty, maharajas, women and life in India.
She also does street photography and shoots from her car. While being driven around, she “learnt to be very quick in shooting, as the moment in a car can pass you by very quickly”. She started taking pictures at friends’ parties, events etc. From this, it was a progression. “My photography moved into the direction of art,” she says. She uses a Canon 5D Mark III body and 16-35 mm, 24-70 mm, 70-300 mm, 50 mm and 100 mm lens.
She always wanted to portray India in a positive light. “After so many years here, I feel more Hyderabadi. In my art photography, I have done a series called Indian Juxtapose, where I used my images around India and vintage ones from the 19th-20th century and merged them,” she says. She is fascinated by Mughal minatures. She recently did a collage of different images of India on canvas called Yeh Mera Bharat. She has also done two solo shows, 20 group shows and curated three Novotel shows.