It’s not the eyes,the face or the smile that express emotions in Shifa Mahajans artwork. The young artist chooses to let the feet do all the talking and convey many meanings. A self-taught artist,Mahajan quit her job as an investment banker to pursue painting full-time and chose a unique theme for her first solo exhibition,which is on at the Books and Brew Cafe in Sector 38.
Apart from paintings and collages,the artist has painted canvas shoes in various designs and colours and is looking forward to designing customised shoes in different themes. Your shoes,my design and our statement, says Mahajan.
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From abstract work on walls to silhouettes of Indias states on a staircase and musical instruments on shoes,Mahajans canvas is wide. On a conventional canvas I paint for myself,but at other times I have a target audience,like the painted shoes are something youngsters would appreciate and flaunt, says Mahajan. Her collection in mixed media articulates how feet or shoes express a persons mood,emotions and personality. There are no figures or faces in any of the works. Love Under the Table is expressed with the lovers feet gently touching each other. A work titled Common Man depicts a pair of rubber slippers with blue straps,with newspaper clippings in Hindi dotting the canvas,which is done in muted colours,with a generous use of charcoal. Black,agrees Mahajan,is an integral part of her work as it lends realism,emotion and abstraction to it. I feel feet and shoes are anonymous,yet say so much about a person and his personality. Sometimes,while appreciating a face an artist has created,we tend to miss out on the emotions or thoughts of the artist, says Mahajan,pointing towards the work titled Fear of the Dark where a couple walks together but with unsure steps,not knowing where they are going. Corporate Bitching depicts the legs of two women in stockings and high heels. I have known this life up-close, says the artist who is loving the life of a painter,where she feels a great sense of fulfillment. Fear of the unknown shows a girl in a short dress carrying a pair of heels. I want my subjects to be evocative and hope to travel to smaller cities with my work, says she.
