One of the simplest ways to express oneself has been through colour, line and form, as artists give shape to thoughts and emotions that are often difficult to put into words. A painting can hold memory, change, longing or even uncertainty — all within a single surface. Form, in this sense, becomes a reflection of lived experiences.
Rather than following a single theme, the show allows each artist’s language to stand on its own, while creating a dialogue within the space. As viewers move through the gallery, they encounter different textures, scales and moods.
For landscape painter Om Soorya, the idea of place has evolved over time. Having witnessed Hyderabad’s rapid urban growth, his landscapes are no longer about real locations. “This place is not like a landscape itself anymore; rather a representation of self — a place to put yourself somewhere, which is not very real,” Soorya says.
His paintings are filled with soft illumination and layered marks that create an in-between time. “If you are putting one light, it is not just light but also an absence of dark,” he explains. The glow in his canvases feels ritualistic and reflective, inviting viewers to pause. “You cannot identify whether it is day or night,” he adds. “It is a psychological approach.” Through this uncertainty, Surya speaks about identity, belonging and the search for personal space.
Figurative painter Rajashekhar Pendurathi turns to fishermen from coastal Andhra, a subject he has returned to for years. While the figures are central, he insists that the process matters more than the story. “The act of painting is primary. Whether it is abstract or there is a fisherman, it is the same,” he says. A self-described “hardcore figurative artist,” Rajashekhar builds his images through careful drawing and hatching, allowing human forms to emerge through line and repetition.
Together, the artists in Presence of Form remind us that art does not need grand statements. Sometimes colour, line and surface are enough to express what words cannot.
Free entry. On view till March 31, 11 am to 7 pm. At Gallery Space, Banjara Hills.
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