Where colours meet spirituality
1 Dec 2014 4:02 AM IST
The iconography of Goddess Parvati and her idealism has survived and inspired art for hundreds of years through Indian folk art, notably through the tradition of miniatures and murals. And it still continues to inspire, as the Kanpur-based artist Ritu Gupta shows in her exhibition The divine Goddess. The exhibition will be held from 1-6 December at the India Habitat Center.
Ritu Gupta’s paintings demonstrate the influence of the traditional art and culture in a style that is very much her own. In this series key feature to note is that the artist does not seem to be making a school or style centric adaptation.
With this form of artist one is reminded of an authentic (traditional) Indian form in terms of being soft, supple and feminine. Ritu employs bold, vibrant, sometimes unusual (for miniatures) colours both in her backgrounds as well as in her figures, using shades of red, cobalt or inky blue, mustard yellow or beige along with shades of pistachio or lime green.
Ritu’s imagery is both similar to and different from the traditional miniatures but she retains the intricacy, delicacy and vibrancy that characterize the art form.
‘I am basically a spiritual painter. After working on a series on Ganesha, the Sri Yantra, Radha Krishna I decided to paint Goddess Parvati. I have played around in the way I depict the various elements, for instance I have played around with the composition of the trees and flowers. The idea behind my works is to merge traditional art with contemporary art; I want to popularise traditional art because it is dying,’ says Ritu.
‘For me Goddess is everywhere. She is manifest as the power of universe. She is personification of wisdom, compassion and protection and she is the strength to overcome negative mind states that reside within each one of us. Such varied concepts pertaining to the goddess have arisen from diverse cultural religious mosaic of Indian religion – cultural traditions,’ she adds.
Two themes –The Power of Goddess and the Efficacy of the couple emerge early in Indian Art. The Goddess has thus evolves from fertility figures in the very early centuries when procreation was a priority to elevation as consort of God’s and recognition as independent and ubiquitous source of compassion strength and wisdom.
Ritu Gupta creates gorgeous, traditional, Indian culture and village oriented art with multi-layered works filled with luscious colous and dream like textures and imagery.
With the use of bright colors coupled with the wonderful freedom of her brushstrokes and spontaneity in forms she creates works that are truly magical, inspiring, spiritual and alluring.
Where: Open Palm Court Gallery, India Habitat Center, New Delhi When: 1-6 December
Ritu Gupta’s paintings demonstrate the influence of the traditional art and culture in a style that is very much her own. In this series key feature to note is that the artist does not seem to be making a school or style centric adaptation.
With this form of artist one is reminded of an authentic (traditional) Indian form in terms of being soft, supple and feminine. Ritu employs bold, vibrant, sometimes unusual (for miniatures) colours both in her backgrounds as well as in her figures, using shades of red, cobalt or inky blue, mustard yellow or beige along with shades of pistachio or lime green.
Ritu’s imagery is both similar to and different from the traditional miniatures but she retains the intricacy, delicacy and vibrancy that characterize the art form.
‘I am basically a spiritual painter. After working on a series on Ganesha, the Sri Yantra, Radha Krishna I decided to paint Goddess Parvati. I have played around in the way I depict the various elements, for instance I have played around with the composition of the trees and flowers. The idea behind my works is to merge traditional art with contemporary art; I want to popularise traditional art because it is dying,’ says Ritu.
‘For me Goddess is everywhere. She is manifest as the power of universe. She is personification of wisdom, compassion and protection and she is the strength to overcome negative mind states that reside within each one of us. Such varied concepts pertaining to the goddess have arisen from diverse cultural religious mosaic of Indian religion – cultural traditions,’ she adds.
Two themes –The Power of Goddess and the Efficacy of the couple emerge early in Indian Art. The Goddess has thus evolves from fertility figures in the very early centuries when procreation was a priority to elevation as consort of God’s and recognition as independent and ubiquitous source of compassion strength and wisdom.
Ritu Gupta creates gorgeous, traditional, Indian culture and village oriented art with multi-layered works filled with luscious colous and dream like textures and imagery.
With the use of bright colors coupled with the wonderful freedom of her brushstrokes and spontaneity in forms she creates works that are truly magical, inspiring, spiritual and alluring.
Where: Open Palm Court Gallery, India Habitat Center, New Delhi When: 1-6 December
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