Priyanka Aelay's 'Stardust, Moonshine & I' explores the intersection of folklore and nature
For artist Priyanka Aelay, elements of the forest and nature become the language that unites fables and reality. The flora and fauna are not just motifs but the subject of a beautiful mind that interprets the importance of such environments. In her work, the concepts from folklore and mythology are extended into dreamy visual reimaginations in addition to the learnings from films and visual culture academia.
Her study of the popular Telugu folk tale Baalanagamma, alongside the feminine references and non-linearities of moon-cycles, often lend themselves to her thoughts and creations. Her ongoing exhibition Stardust, Moonshine & I mirrors such inventive imaginations onto the canvas, even chronicling the tales of coexistence between different landscapes and underwater life with a surreal touch in execution. Priyanka joins us for a deep dive into the inspirations behind the pieces in this exhibition. She also discusses the significance of playing with transparency in colours to reflect the dialogues of revelations in her paintings and what she would want viewers to take away from this presentation.
Priyanka Aelay's artistic journey through folklore and nature's mysteries
There’s a large presence of the forest and other natural elements that find their way into your art, bridging the real and imaginary. What are some elements and the stories that inspired these series?
As an artist, I believe our surroundings, where we come from and how we imagine the world around us, become an essential part of who we are and who we aspire to be. This sensibility naturally flows into my work. Much of what I create exists at the intersection of an imagined parallel universe and lived reality. I draw inspiration from folk narrative traditions, reshaping their stories into my own magical worlds. Many of these folk tales are rooted in dense forests and the mysteries that unfold within them, preserved through rich oral traditions. My current series explores an expansive, imaginative space that takes form as a multiverse, an overlook into multiple worlds coexisting and converging.
There’s an interesting exchange between a variety of ecosystems — terrestrial, aquatic and aerial, where elements from one find their way into the other. Could you delve deeper into the thought process behind this approach for your pieces?
There is an imaginative ecosystem like a territorial backdrop, in most of my works. I often find myself questioning the spaces I create, whether they exist above sea level or below it, above the earth or beneath it, high in the sky or hidden under it. This sense of spatial ambiguity fascinates me. As a spontaneous artist, I allow the work to emerge organically. I don’t plan what comes next, I follow the flow of creation as it arrives.
How did you come to use the transparency and opacity of colours to convey the mood of the pieces?
When I began my career as an artist, I experimented with a wide range of mediums like pastels, acrylics, oils, watercolours and extensive collage work. As a spontaneous artist, I was especially drawn to watercolours, yet I was equally interested in translating that delicacy onto a larger scale. This pushed me to find a meeting point between the two approaches I was constantly exploring, which is how transparency and opacity could coexist within a single work. That dialogue between what is revealed and what is concealed has shaped my practice ever since. It was from this search that the central idea behind my current work began to take form.
What do you hope for viewers to take away from your art about nature, folklore and the human condition?
As an artist, I value spontaneity and I hope my viewers can enter the magical moments that shape my work. If they can enjoy, imagine or feel something resonant within these worlds, then I am fulfilled. I want them to carry a sense of surreal, dreamy imagery with them, something that lingers long after they’ve left the work behind.
Entry free. On till December 26, 11 am to 6 pm. At Kynkyny Art Gallery, Infantry Road.