Layers of brilliance

“My paintings are experiments. Through the different layers of colours,they come alive,” says the artist,who is now settled in Pune. She studied art in Italy,and when she came to India 15 years ago,she was struck by the beauty and spirituality here. “Life here is full of depth,and that’s what I try to recreate in my paintings,” she explains. The paintings,like the artist herself,are vivacious,effectual and a burst of brilliant colours. The one constant factor is the abstract flow of gold. This shade,for Shola,represents the Divine. “And the other colours in between show what existence is all about. In real life,we show our depth when we speak,laugh and cry. Similarly,through the different colours,my paintings come alive,” she says.

Shola works on several paintings at one time because the process is a long one. Without divulging details about her unique work,she says,“Since my work is so layered,I have to wait for each layer to dry. Thus I work on different paintings at one time. I mix a lot of mediums. There’s texture,gold and so on. At times,I almost never use acrylic.” None of her paintings are ever the same. If one has purple moving through a sober pink and leading into the gold,another has deep reds lined through the black surface. “Paintings are a metaphor for life. Each one depicts my emotions. Most of the times they’re strong and brilliant,but some are dark,reflective and sad,” Shola explains,adding,“What I really like about the work is that the layers are transparent and show the layers beneath. The colours move and that’s what appeals to me.”

Shola has always garnered positive reviews for her work in Italy,Dubai,Mumbai,Chennai and now Pune. She’s influenced by the culture of different places,including her home country Italy. “I started in Italy and then developed my work. There’s a lot of commonness between Italy and India. People are warm and friendly in both countries,” she says.

Shola’s exhibitions have always been at art galleries. “That’s because I’m very serious about my work!” she smiles,and adds,“This is the first time that I’ve showcased in Pune and also the the first time that I’ve combined wine with art,and it’s been a great experience. It’s a good way of reaching beyond art connoisseurs too.”