Artist Nilofer Suleman remembers her childhood visits to a halwai with her father in Indore, to gorge on some doodh jalebi. These visits also became her introduction to the ways of adultery. While the halwai was busy making and counting money, his wife, sitting beside him, and a milkman would be eyeballing each other and exchanging meaningful glances. Her vivid memories have now translated into a painting titled Madhumilan Mithaiwala in shades of bubblegum colours such as pink and yellow. This is one of the 11 works in Suleman’s solo “Jantar Mantar” at Latitude 28 gallery that offers a telescopic glimpse into her universe of starry-eyed lovers. The 52-year-old Bangalore-based artist is inspired by life in the underbelly of metros, Indian typography and street graphics. She pays an ode to old gallis in towns and cities of India, where the vintage character is still retained. Suleman seamlessly blends in Indian poster art, roadside signage and truck graphics through her unapologetic use of vibrant hues from the Indian palette. “I make an yearly pilgrimage to Chor Bazaar in Mumbai and am fascinated by Chandi Chowk in Delhi. I try to replicate the old typography found on signboards, autos, trucks and walls, all of which is getting lost today. It is a part of our heritage as much as architecture. Nowadays, all the big cities look the same and their old distinct character is fading away,” says the artist. Her painting Vani Vilas Kala Mandir, submerged in a sea of green, is a visually gripping tale of how a girl, playing a sitar, dreams of escaping captivity in the same way that the songbird perched on top of her musical instrument found its way out of a cage behind her. As a film director listens to the girl’s music intently, two women smoking hookahs stare gleefully at their “golden goose” in their hope for a secure future. Suleman’s artistic talents emerged in school where she often drew diagrams for her friends. After studying psychology, Suleman left her PhD research midway to study miniatures. She later fell in love with maps and tried to recreate its intricate shades and segments. It comes as no surprise that six or seven miniatures are hidden within her paintings. She will soon start work on her next show, based on Varanasi, after she spends two weeks in the holy city. “It is called God Promise. Through a comic relation, it will look at the cardinal signs in the holy city such as bargaining and cheating,” says the artist. The exhibition is on at F 208 GF, Lado Sarai, till January 10, from 11 am to 7 pm. Contact: 46791111
