The year 1998 marked the beginning of a voyage undertaken by a young homemaker from Chennai. That year, N Swarnalatha, dipped her feet into the sea of colours. A degree in journalism failed to quench her thirst for creativity and expression but something else satisfied the two—her love for art. “I have never had any formal training in this field, I taught myself how to paint only after getting married,” says Swarnalatha, who began to seek inspiration from Pablo Picasso, her guru as she calls him and soon embraced post-modern art.
Swarnalatha does not believe in selling her artwork and devotes her free time to charity. Her paintings are an amalgamation of hues and textures coupled with powerful messages aiming to spread awareness around the world. Swarnalatha’s upcoming exhibition titled ‘Nirbhaya’ is a tribute to all the women who serve as sources of strength and courage despite having suffered immensely since time immemorial. The series of paintings and sculptures reflect the Indian woman’s predicament along with the artist’s distress regarding the alarming cases of sexual violence in our nation. “I wish to dedicate this art show to Nirbhaya, Vinodini and Vidya who were victims of sheer violence. Through my artwork I want to extend my support to all the women who have endured abuse,” says Swarnalatha.
This being her first exhibition in Delhi, Swarnalatha hopes to make the masses aware and bring about a transformation in the lives of women. She believes that being silent isn’t the solution. “The problem can only be solved at the individual level, it is the mindset of the people that needs change,” she says.