Journalism of Courage
Elements of kitsch and pop are evident in the works of Dharini Sha (22),Tanmayee Jhankar (22) and Swati Namjoshi (23). It is also clear that their works draw heavily from their own state of mind and experiences. Breathing fresh air into the citys art scene,the three young women are exhibiting their paintings for the first time,at Arc Asia,ABC Farms,today,in a group show titled Curious Hues. The three have just graduated in Fine Arts from Bharatiya Vidyapeeth.
My art draws a lot from my experiences, says Sha,who seeks to model her works as implicit storytellers. It is no coincidence that in her formative years as an artist,Sha was enamoured by master storyteller,Modernist painter Frida Kahlo. Most of her paintings are colourful yet depressing,as her works act as mouthpieces for her existence, says Sha. Some of her works are autobiographical,while others are figurative interpretations of her musings,exemplified best by Amphibian Ambition. Amphibians can survive both under water and on land,a trait which has become symbolic of situational adjustment. The perseverance of frogs during monsoons truly inspires me, says Sha,who has rendered her adoration on canvas in a pop colour scheme.
Namjoshi is the poetess-painter and so,lets poets such as Pablo Neruda and Rumi tickle her fancy. I first pen down the concept as a poem. It allows me to conjure the imagery. Therefore,many of my works are visual images of my poems, she says. Music is also another stimulant for Namjoshis work.
In her work,titled Gimmick,she deals with the false portrayal of artists by society. The lives of many artists have been passed off as a long drawn-out gimmick. But is this judgement wholly valid? wonders Namjoshi in this piece,which she claims to have made while listening to Frank Sinatra.
