How an artist is carrying the essence of water to a Pune gallery

Ganesh Mhatre's solo exhibition titled 'Embodied Essence' encompasses scenes of waterlilies and the liquid flexibility of rivers around hilly landscapes. It reminds the viewer of the pristine connection between them and water. The show is being held till November 9.

The show is being held till November 9. (Photo: Ganesh Mhatre)

There was a pond outside the house where artist Ganesh Mhatre was born and grew up, and, barely 500 m away, the beginnings of a beach and the Arabian Sea. This is Pen, in Raigad district, which is famous for the skilled craftspeople who can bring Ganesh idols to life. The twin influences ensured that Mhatre grew up not only playing in the water but also developing an early artistic sensibility.

He watched how lights, shadows, and reflections played in the shimmering currents of the sea or the gentle ripples of the pond. What Mhatre also experienced was that, when he was near a water body, his inner voice would talk to him. “I realised that, as humans, we are deeply connected with the water. We feel the questions in our minds emerge to the surface. We get immersed in the ebb and flow of tides and the depth of water. By the time we leave the water, we feel washed, clean, and with a certain positive energy,” says Mhatre.

Titled ‘Embodied Essence’, the solo show of paintings encompasses scenes of waterlilies and the liquid flexibility of rivers around hilly landscapes. (Photo: Ganesh Mhatre)

Nature, which has nurtured Mhatre’s imagination and spiritual depth, is under threat – the beach is littered with plastic and the water struggles in the aftermath of immersions. When Mhatre’s group of artists goes out into forests or beaches, they sometimes carry back 50-150 sacks of litter. It is a part of a larger problem of pollution, so Mhatre seems to have found an unusual way to draw attention to the relationship between water and the human mind.

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As a solo exhibition at Monalisa Kalagram in Pune, Ganesh Mhatre has chosen to convey his own lifelong conversations with water. Titled ‘Embodied Essence’, the solo show of paintings encompasses scenes of waterlilies and the liquid flexibility of rivers around hilly landscapes. It reminds the viewer of the pristine connection between them and water. The show is being held till November 9.

“It is an element that has shaped not only my environment but my very way of seeing and being,” says Mhatre.

He depicts how, without any external instruction, a person knows how to behave around water. “We get lost in a different world. It is as if we are meditating. Our mind becomes still and we begin to hear the sounds of our innermost selves,” he says.

Mhatre uses a knife to paint, loading acrylic on the canvas until the work acquires a deep, rich texture, but remains surprisingly light like water. “I use a lot of layering in my paintings. This is important because I don’t make realistic works but try to capture the essence of waterlilies, lotus leaves, and the water,” he says.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is interested in the climate crisis and sustainability. She has written extensively on social trends, heritage, theatre and startups. She has worked with major news organizations such as Hindustan Times, The Times of India and Mint. ... Read More

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