A Prayer to the Inner Self

Pathetic Fallacy!

Human emotions we attribute to different aspects of nature...It's a literary term and an extremely poetic one!

I find myself doing just that every now and then! Rather, almost always!!! It's as if nature is an inextricable part of me! We attach our emotions to nature and feel they either condole or celebrate with us. I usually look more into the celebration part. I have never found/actually met anyone who does that to my extent until recently. I was so surprised and super-glad when it was reciprocated with the same magnitude! That set me thinking...

How many of you feel it that way? Do you experience it too?

I recently completed a series of three paintings that evokes this emotion and which I can not share it here as I need to submit it for a few specific artsy needs. :) 

Whether animate or inanimate, nature is wholesome and it does have a 'life' to it which reciprocates the way we would like it to do so...it is a kind of prayer. As they say the Universe conspires to make our dreams come true! Nature, inevitably, plays a major role by sapping in the vibes and sending it out to the universe! :)

Recently, I read Hermann Hesse's 'Siddhartha' where Siddhartha says that a stone which is so now need not always be a stone, it could be anything from soil to human... there is a cycle of transformation. Just so, we could be too...in the past or in the future...anything from a stone to this animate form of human!

Sometimes you wonder whether we humans have turned to stone just because of this very fact! Don't you see the kind of stone-hearted ones around! One can also see people around each in their own sorrow, fighting a lonely battle, enduring it all...each one of us is in pain, some form or the other. Sometimes, one can feel that vibe! I feel sorry then! feel helpless! 

Art, I feel, always helps at least to a certain extent to overcome this pain! 

Art is like a trance, a meditation...a prayer to the inner self! to the nature! to the Universe! 

If your prayer is genuine, one is sure to get it fulfilled...be it late, but it would nevertheless be answered!

I would like you to please share your thoughts, views and opinions. :)

small section of my intuitive painting - a WIP

Linking it to Eva and Kristin's PPF :)

Art Is In The Air

Art was definitely in the air at DUCTAC (Mall of the Emirates in Dubai) last weekend when The Gallery of Light was filled with colourful and ambitious works of some amazing talents. It was a fabulous collection and a dazzling golden feather to Artzest's cap for having come so far in their passionate venture in such a short span. I remember their first show at Arabian Ranches some five years back which was superlative enough for a start with M.F.Hussain, himself, attending the show.

This is the second time I was visiting DUCTAC and the place is remarkable as it is one of the most prominent and happening centers of art in Dubai with workshops, exhibitions and plays going on frequently.

From the artworks, I have many personal favourites and I am a bit biased towards my friends (from FB) too :) ...but there were many new, promising and upcoming talents in this show. 

Faizal Saeed and Reham Saeed - ArtZest

A wonderfully determined couple attributing to ArtZest's success.

 Devi Seetharaman's welcoming work

 DUCTAC - The Gallery of Light - Mall of the Emirates

 Can you identify Santhana Krishnan's work?

 Mrs. Deepa Seetharaman(wife to Indian Ambassador in the U.A.E) and Peter Gressman 

 You can see Sekhar Roy, Ramesh Pachpande and Fawad Tamkanat's works.

 Gorgeous Devi Seetharaman with her Arabic ladies
(Daughter of Mr.Seetharaman, Ambassador of India) 

Devi Seetharaman and Anoushka (Krishna), my daughter :)

When Ms.Devi invited her to have a click...

Linking it to PPF...Some stunning works can be seen there... :)

Sketches, Scribbles and Drawings by K.G.Subramanyan

K G Subramanyan is a name to be reckoned with versatility, wit, satire and innovation in art. He is a painter, sculptor, muralist, print-maker and a designer. He is also a well-defined poet whose personal verses are more attractive than the famed poets themselves. Even at the age of 91 and being restricted, he is ever willing, agile and committed to his passion. I had the opportunity to see over 100 sketches, scribbles and drawings of eminent KGS at prominent venues – firstly at India House (Indian Ambassador’s Residence), Abu Dhabi and then at Sultan Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation in Dubai which is a dedicated to art and culture in and around the region. The show was called 'Sketches, Scribbles and Drawings by K.G.Subramanyan.'

It was organized by Collage Communications in association with Seagull Foundation for the Arts based in Kolkata. Thanks to the team for bringing such an amazing talent within our reach; for the art lovers here in the U.A.E.

Along with the artworks there were also books by KGS - his art, his studies, his views and interpretations, children's books etc.

serene entrance to the India House (Indian Ambassador's residence, Abu Dhabi)

We were welcomed with warmth and cordiality by the Ambassador's wife, Mrs. Deepa Seetharaman. I was really touched by her grace. She certainly appears to be a connoisseur in art and that reflects in her aesthetic decor of the home and a personal collection of art books that were laid out along with the exhibit.

Born in Kerala, educated in Shantiniketan and currently residing in Baroda, KGS has been awarded Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. He has been influential name in India’s art and design world for the past five decades.

The sketches begin from the 1960s, progresses to drawings in the 1970s, black and white sketches, scribbles and brush work with a major Asian influence in the 1980s, advances to nature and figure studies where one can see the Western influence and then to the current works with gouache which are just a couple of months old.

His reverse painting on mylar sheets is something I admire more for their ingenuity. I love the way he incorporates traditional devices into his art and ultimately makes it his own. There is also a huge number of his works (apart from black and white sketches, pens and crayons) that burst with the joy of colours particularly his gouaches. Though not a learned expert in art, I found an influence of Kalighat style in his paintings. All the same there is this cosmopolitan language that he speaks too. To me, his art definitely can’t be restricted or compartmentalized. 

According to KGS, from what I understand, one need not limit oneself to just western or eastern tendencies but rather one can definitely merge them and use it according to one’s taste taking it as metaphors. The best thing about him is that he doesn’t resist change and he moulds according to the evolving art. I would have loved to see his magnum opus, ‘War of the Relics’, which unfortunately couldn’t be brought in for the exhibition due to technical reasons.

The pictures below are from Sultan Ali Al Owais Cutural Foundation Gallery in Dubai. It's a major space with ample area and lighting and the works looked different in a different environment. KGS show is a travelling one as they are exhibiting in various parts of India and the Gulf.

I also happened to chance upon my FB friend and Dubai based artist, Atul Panase, and it was an immense pleasure talking to a humble and down-to-earth artist. :)

I would like to thank Mrs.Mini.S.Menon, a partner of Collage Communications for posting the event information in FB and to Mr.Ramachandra Babu, Senior Illustrator-Gulf News (whose wife Mrs. Beena Ramachandran is also a partner of the autonomous firm, Collage) who invited me to the show. I would also like to thank Mr. Krishna Kumar of Collage Communications (and his better half, Mrs. Suma Krishna Kumar who worked hard to make it all possible), whom we met at India House, and who invited us again to the Dubai show. To sum up, it was indeed an amazing experience to see in person the art works of a legendary artist of our times.

Women Of The Desert - The Show

Women of the Desert came to a close and I reached Dubai on the concluding day so couldn't enjoy it the way I wanted and missed to meet most of the artists...blame it all on the air traffic and the unavailability of tickets at this peek travel season in the Gulf! :) However I did make the best of it as the works were still there to have a good look, the installations were moved to a side though.

The exhibition took place at Gallery 76, DIAC (Dubai International Art Centre) in Jumeirah. It's a lovely and serene villa and I love the way it warmly welcomes us all in, every time! The small arabic arches adds beauty to the whole villa and so is the bougainvillea, almost always in full bloom. A small and cozy gallery space!

The works of various women artists - to have a look at the participating artists, you can drop by here. We had all tried our part in exploring femininity through various mediums and techniques and had tried to tell a tale - a short narrative of our lives; within and without. I am always attracted and excited by colours and there were no shortage of it in there! The gallery bursted with colours!

With my works

I also was able to meet a dear friend Pari Sagar, on the artwork collection date, with whom I have exhibited before and we had a really amazing time. Her works were my couple of favourites in the show. After collecting our artworks we had lunch together.

 With Pari Sagar and her paintings on my right

So that's it for today. Currently I am in Dubai and running a hectic schedule and enjoying it all :)

Until next week, it's a warm adieu!