A race to catch up with time and painting

Art is about finding your true self. It needs time, patience and passion to create something extraordinary. Many people, in their fast-paced life, give up their passion, not necessarily art but anything from music to dance, to poetry. Gouri Seth is yet another ordinary person who let go of her passion to meet the needs of her family. She began to draw and paint as a two-year old, but participating in sports became her first love through her school years. However, illness took away her energy and she stopped painting. "Art had always been a hobby but I never envisioned it as a full-time occupation or profession" she says.

Eventually, marriage and two children became her main occupation that left little time for artistic endeavors. When her children got older, Gouri and her husband were posted to Paris. There she began to visit art galleries and the local art culture which rekindled her desire to paint. Her daughter kept pressing her to start painting again and, a few years ago, she surprised Gouri by enrolling her in a 7-day art class during her visit to Singapore. "The encouragement from the teacher, from my daughter, and my family flipped the switch in my head and I began to paint after 40 full years," Gouri exclaimed.

For the past few years she has been drawing, painting, and experimenting under the guidance of Mr Sunil Kumar, a self-taught and talented artist. Gouri says, "It is as if I am in a race to catch up with time and painting. As modern city life becomes increasingly stressful, painting is a way to slow down and listen to my inner voice." Jyoti Kalra, the curator of The Uchaan Art Gallery in Gurgaon encouraged Gouri to display her work at the International Art Festival.

"While I always hope that my work stirs emotions in the people who view it, the accolades I received at the exhibition were unexpected. I was overwhelmed when a young man asked for my autograph for something I created!"

In no time, Gouri drew appreciation for the love and spirituality expressed through her paintings. Young and old visitors alike lost themselves in the tranquility and delicate quality of the paintings. Now, Gouri is looking forward to and is very excited about participating in yet another Exhibition at Prayass from February 2 to 5 at Leisure Valley in Gurgaon.