Recreating landmarks in colour

His talent for fine art manifested in Punya Vaibhav8217; 8211; the oil painting on canvas which adorns the third floor of the Central Excise and Customs, Pune HQ, located opposite Wadia College, has become a thing of pride.

Varma might be an excise inspector by profession but his heart is deeply related to the world of colours where effervescence and creativity rules the roost. What makes his work admirable is that Varma has no formal education in fine arts, but it is only through observation and the inane instinct that he makes a delightful visual impact through his work.

Says Varma, who was in Pune a couple of days back, 8220;My mother is an artist, so I learnt a lot from her. Besides, I always make it a point to visit painting exhibitions and keenly observe different artists. I talk to these artists and get tips from them.8221; Also, the fact that he delves deeply into the theme that he decides for a painting exudes his studious qualities.

States Varma, 8220;When my superior, M G Venugopalan, central excise commissioner, asked me to do a painting for the new building, I contemplated for quite a while, on what the focus should be. Finally, I decided to portray the history of Pune, through the centuries. So, for 10 whole days I visited several libraries, educational institutions and a couple of newspaper offices, to ensure that my history was factually correct.8221;

And then, on this 14 feet long painting, Varma elaborates the chronology of Pune8217;s history. 8220;I began from the Karla Caves which depict the Buddhist era from the 1st to the seventh century and ended with modern history upto the Aga Khan Palace which represents the Indian freedom struggle, since Mahatma Gandhi was interned there during the Quit India Movement.8221;

Punya Vaibhav8217; depicts a collage of famous personalities as well as places, with orange and brown colours dominating the painting. Stalwarts in the freedom struggle like Mahatma Gandhi and Lokmanya are shown as also an impressive portrait of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The historic Shaniwar Wada and ancient carvings cannot be missed. In fact, a leisurely look at the painting provides a philosophical insight into life.

Varma is a science student and completed his post-graduation from the University of Pune. Eight years back he joined this government department, which to his delight has given him a golden opportunity to express his creativity.