The two upcoming solo exhibitions, The Sarovar Stories by Sunayana Malhotra and Leaving the further journey towards Infinity, to the Imagination by Poushali Das, will have previews this Saturday, November 12, at Kalakriti Art Gallery. At the former display, Sunayana Malhotra uses her imagination to paint a picture of what a sarovar or a lake will look like throughout the day.
Likewise, the mystique in Poushali Das’ paintings is expressed through the study and revival of archaic methods, techniques, and subjects from her land’s indigenous values. The show continues till December 7.
Prior to the preview, we speak with Sunayana Malhotra, who set her mind on studying the lotuses and the floral world’s ephemeral moods and untapped depth after becoming enchanted with them. For her, lotuses are not just flowers to look at; they also have mythological and metaphorical meanings. While her passion drove her to employ every tool at her disposal, including colour, tone, and texture contrast, her compositions included whirls and bands that created a meditative atmosphere.
Her artwork has a contemplative aura about it, which reflects her fascination with spiritual and natural themes. “I’m inspired by my surroundings. Also, I take inspiration from our great culture and heritage from old monuments, forts, palaces and interesting people,” she says, adding, “My works are spontaneous and emerge from an inner voice.”
Poushali Das, first became interested in mysticism after hearing a Rabindranath Tagore song in which the singer depicts himself as a traveller who has lost his way. She feels that by listening to poetry and music, these mystical travellers—who are on a trip without a star t or an end—become the principal characters of her painting. Her paintings’ mysticism is interpreted through research and the rehabilitation of antiquated old methods, techniques, and themes from her native land’s traditional culture. She draws inspiration from this kind of narration and assembles various frames of her ideas and feelings into smaller panels to chronicle a variety of tales. The narrative runs across not only the horizontal or vertical axis but also relates in every direction of the multi-viewpoint space layout, so when these panels are combined, they create an entirely different impression of pensive quietude.
“Presently I am in the pursuit of the formless, drawing constantly from the boundless variety of nature. Reflections on nature and the resulting astonishment drive me to depict them as narrations: memories and incidents related to a particular full-moon night, for example, the narration stretches from the personal to the collective and universal," she says. She also adds that she derives inspiration from the beauty of nature at night and metaphorical love stories such as Radha and Krishna’s consummation.
The exhibits are on showcase till December 7.
At Banjara Hills.
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Twitter: @PaulChokita