Imagination, creativity and artistic skills apart, an artist's work stems primarily from the environment he has been raised in. And well-known Pune-based artist, Buwa Shetye, will be the first to agree. The images on his canvases convey strong impressions of his roots.Shetye grew up in a very small village in Nagar district, and scenes which are etched in his mind take on new dimensions in his works. Shetye acquired his diploma in applied art from the Abhinav Kala Vidyalaya in 1983 and dabbled in illustrations and a career in advertising prior to taking up painting as a full-time career.His studio on Karve Road, near Dashabhuja Ganapati, is full of large canvases. This is where he paints at leisure, mostly figures in sombre hues (browns, greys, subdued blues and ochres are predominant). But according to him, they are not realistic portraits. ``I try to give my compositions new expressions,'' he says. He points out to a beautiful canvas, which shows a lady with two children. ``It was inspired by my childhood. My mother was carrying me and my sibling while balancing a basket on her head, but a strong wind displaced the basket. She immediately left me to hold on to it,'' he recalls with a nostalgic smile.At present, the prolific artist is busy with his exhibition at the Holiday Inn that will continue till December 6. The show has been titled Dreams. ``I titled the series Dreams because in one's daydreams, one visits many a place and sees many an interesting vision,'' he explains.For instance, one of his paintings shows a pundit (a recurring figure in his paintings) playing the flute and floating in air. The painter has also given the figure wings, to demonstrate that he is in a state of bliss. But there's a problem coming his way, depicted by the artist through a small thorn pricking his foot. ``This is what generally happens in life, the negative vibrations are unforeseen,'' says this thoughtful painter.Another work depicts two widows seated by a window pane, clutching at a piece of string. The string symbolises a kind of security blanket, although it does not amount to anything solid. ``But it is their feeling, that they have something to hold on to,'' says Shetye.Shetye's forte lies in catching the mood of the moment with great finesse. And it will give art connoisseurs much scope for interpretation, since each work is a result of deep reflection. So here's one artist who has discovered that fine balance between style and substance. His exhibition is bound to be an enjoyable experience.
