An unassuming, passing moment can alter the course of one’s entire life. Anybody who is rushing to catch a plane, anybody who sits on the edge of the seat awaiting a goal in a football match or a buzzer beat in a basketball game would probably know this. Anybody who has lost a dear one in an accident, someone who is gasping for breath would know the appreciation for that one more moment that could allow them life…” begins Shivapriya, who is showcasing a collection of her paintings titled Shimmering Whispers From a Kanakambaram Summer, which is a tribute to time and space, 2018-2023.
A debut show, it is curated by Srajana Kaikini, who informs us, “The works range from almost photographic to almost abstract, resisting complete formations, many perhaps trying to catch in-betweens caught in the state of becoming or just taking shape.”
Shivapriya, who is a graduate in architecture and a self-taught visual artist, believes that only in a fight against time, are passing moments experienced and appreciated consciously. All the other times, they are a part of a day, and a day in turn is part of a week. And a week, a part of a month and a year.
Her work is poignant and philosophical. Any given painting in this compilation, presents what can be considered as a landscape — a sweep of a certain environment, where particular moments in the passage of time are captured — making the subject. They speak of a secret gift of chance; the benevolence of time. These have often not been considered, treated trifle or with scepticism. “They are those moments that can easily be overlooked, but come with an immense capacity to transform. In other words, moments which have brought me in touch with the largesse of life. They range from the experiences of Neruda, to a divine bull, and back to the self. And each example allows me to expand my horizon of awareness,” says the artist.
There is a sense of space in the paintings, but not of any defined typology. The focus of each painting is to bring out a certain quality — Spirit. “In my works, acknowledging the quality or tendency of any space to acquire a certain mood, a certain energy, becomes fundamental in arriving at the right expression; in being true to the intent. Each space portrayed here is unique to the experience from whence the particular work originates,” Shivapriya explains.
Shimmering Whispers From a Kanakambaram Summer is a tribute to the benevolence of time. This is a tribute to those moments, for their significance on lives and their quality of holding beauty. The artist adds that the best way she could have hoped to bring alive, express and preserve the experience, was to introduce the viewer to the same atmosphere, as closely as was possible. “Although the initial inclination was towards the usage of metaphors, I unconsciously began leaning on spatial sensibilities. I recognised the thrill and power of compositions. It mattered as much as colour and light. So, I would work on several compositions, forming different perspectives, until I get closest to the intent,” she says, adding, “Watercolours and paper both have an incredible appeal to me. This medium provides transparency for layers or density for strength. The paintings, the subjects are a result of life. Art to me is therefore a consequence of living and comes forth from exuberance and intensity.”
Open to all.
February 3 to 7, 10 am to 6 pm.
At ESPACE 24, Alliance Française
of Madras, Nungambakkam.
Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com
X: @rupsjain