Art for her is like a story connecting her feelings. Agra-born artist Sonal Varshneya says, “I come from a family where rituals are strictly followed. That became the starting point of my work.” Her early paintings would revolve around religious subjects. Making prominent use of the colour black, her fascination for etching would stand out with strong lines and vivid textures. Today it is feminism and womanhood that are a recurrent theme. Also, more colours have seeped in. “My women-related works are closely connected to me and apply to our society as well. People were also able to connect with my work and this inspired me to continue along those lines,” she says.
Her works were recently showcased at the RMZ Ecoworld Gallery as part of the Goa Affordable Art Festival (GAAF) Bengaluru Edition. For the same, Sonal prepared seven works in a series titled ‘Emoticons’, reflecting changes in moods. The works also incorporate elements from Indian mythology. “I believe we are all still influenced by the old stories, hence the constant reference in my works,” she explains.
Winner of the first International Print Biennale India Lalit Kala Akademi award, Sonal has been working with etching for a decade now. “Though etching is an ancient process, the conditions and amenities for working on the art form need to be in place. I have observed that a lot of the conversation about the field revolved around the technology as opposed to the work itself. This takes away from giving the art form its own identity,” she says.
Sonal has also immersed herself into working on a series called ‘Ready to Red Carpet’, focusing on social and religious customs related to women. “My two online shows will resume soon. The first will be a water colour display on mojarto.com and the second will be featured at Sumukha Gallery, Bengaluru, alongside five printmaking artists,” says the artist.