Art is what you make others see

A renowned author had once said that the dance between darkness and light will always remain – the stars and the moon will always need the darkness to be seen, the darkness will just not be worth having without the moon and the stars. This is a balance – the give-and-take of energy, and is essence of the ancient philosophy of Yin and Yang. But it takes a perceptive artist to present this philosophy in a manner that the average connoisseur can understand. 

In an exhibition, titled ‘Aim for the Moon’ by Mitalee Makwana, it results in a completely fresh interpretation that hits the discerning viewer. The exhibition will be on display at the Galerie Romain Rolland of the Alliance Française de Delhi from January 2–4. It is being presented by Jitendra Padam Jain who is Founder and MD of Gallery Sree Arts Gurgaon from January 5 – 15. It has been put up with the assistance of Annkush B Sharma.

The philosophy is more than the integration of male and female. It is also the balance of light and dark, soft and hard, active and passive, in and out, giver and receiver. One cannot have one without the other. Mitalee has chosen this concept to show that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites. And yet, these opposing forces govern the balance and movement of the composition. Her creativity reflects the influence of the concept of Yin and Yang in her artwork and the extent to which this symbol enthralls and fascinates her. 

Her exhibits include more than 30 artworks – drawings, paintings and installations. There are myriad elements in her paintings – nature, abstract, paper folding, etc. The broad range of colours in her artwork are harmonious and soothe the senses.

For Mitalee, it all started at the age of 8 when she made her first painting of Lord Buddha, an epitome of serenity. She had begun drawing and painting at the age of seven and had fine drawing skills which were honed by the artist Ganesh, who lived near her home. 

With the maturing of her talent combined with a personality and immense patience, Mitalee joined the JJ Sanskriti School of Visual Arts. 

Amity International, Gurgaon, where she was studying also played a very vital role in moulding her artistic personality. She was encouraged to learn the finer nuances of art and follow her deep passion. She is currently pursuing a Diploma in Visual Arts from Bangia Sangeet Parishad, Kolkata. 

Mitalee also continues her training intensively at Sree Arts under the expert guidance of its founder. She likes to paint landscapes using oil based colours but works on still life with charcoal and gives special effects with soft pastels. She combines and mixes a wide range of colours while using water colours and pencils. 

Mitalee says she will always be grateful to Jain as she has learnt a lot from him. Besides that, she is also thankful to Annkush and Gauri as she would not have achieved this milestone without their constant support and guidance. 

According to the earliest comprehensive dictionary of Chinese characters, Yin refers to ‘a closed door, darkness and the south bank of a river and the north side of a mountain.’ Yang refers to the ‘height, brightness and the south side of a mountain.’ Yang was movement (dong) and yin was rest (jing).

The first written record of these characters together appears in a verse from the Book of Songs, ‘Viewing the scenery at a hill, looking for yin yang,’ indicating that Yang is the sunny side and Yin is the shady side.