Statement

The thin line between the natural and the over-done inspires me to work. Every behaviour, thought and expression is to some extent natural and when it becomes over-done, there is more than something behind this major contrast. Whether it is about our system, social divisions, 'isms', icons, tags, relationship, identities, barriers, directions and mis-directions, all these brackets decrease the chances of natural learning and joys of living. Our natural instincts and reflexes go to a certain limit keeping everything natural, however, the mockery, show-off and other elements make natural things over-done. So much so that the natural looks fake and the fake... an everyday, never-ending proceeding.

Statement

Being a woman is a unique experience, a sweet and sour mix of intense feelings, volatile emotions and ultimate sacrifices.This is a time of great confusion, when the past and present are at a crossroads. Women in particular are struggling to redefine themselves as the precedents set by our mothers aren’t useful anymore in this modern world and day. Cultural stereotypes and our social do’s and don’ts stare at us. To top it all we have the western definition of a modern woman to contend with. What is a woman to be then? Is she the satti-savitri of the sub-continent who bears everything without uttering a word of protest or is she the western icon of feminism, burning her bra and scorning domesticity? Somehow I don’t believe that most of us fit in either of these categories. So where do we belong? This is what I’m trying to explore in my paintings, to find the woman inside me without any fear of disapproval. All the major decisions in our lives are made by others with total disregard to our feelings. It is this helplessness and utter frustration that is the groundwork of my paintings. The inability to speak out but a burning desire to do so. Ironically my culture is very important to me, and I do want to be a part of it without sacrificing my life in the process or accepting the horrifying things done in the guise of religion or culture such as honour killing, which I believe are violations of humanity. There are dress and moral codes and religious edicts for women but none for men. There is also an unrealistic level of perfection demanded of women by society, as she is expected to fit in the mould and be the same at all times beautiful, sweet, loving, caring, homely etc, without any personality or character of their own. The important thing is to have a freedom of choice, to be able to think for ourselves and be respected for who we are. Theoretically we believe in respecting women, but in reality no one does! As soon as a woman steps out of the house she is open to physical and verbal abuse, not to mention slander. It is this fear and insecurity that I speak against. The feeling that you are never really safe!

Statement

Sardarsmand Palace now in Pali District, was a part of the Jodhpur Dynasty some 90 years ago. The beautiful artificial lake that was created to irrigate the barren lands was taken up to construct the palace resulting in shortage of water and unavailability of green grass for the cattle. My paintings of places and people of Rajasthan in traditional jewellery and colorful clothes show my passion towards my heritage.

Statement

My work is mainly about myself how I feel about certain moments. My feelings are probably the same as those experienced by others but may be in different and personalized ways. How a person changes with a change of heart and according to the circumstances, is something I am trying to focus on in my work. In my big painting I talk about space, a space which is mine but I am afraid to explore it by myself and stick to certain relationships. My work is completely based on my inner feelings which I try to transform and express through the medium of miniature painting.

Statement

My work shows my personal journey with my daughter. It shows that she is still as connected to me as she was when she was still unborn. The cord is what connects the child to his or her mother and for me that is still there and will always remain so. My paintings depict my highs and lows with my daughter. Even though there may be hardships but along with that is a deep sense of love and attachment. And that feeling is what makes both of us go on. These colours and significant images that I have used are a part of that personal journey which one may be able to see through.

Statement

Basically my work is about how I’m unsure about my future in all parts of life. And how at times I dwell in my past when I shouldn't because you can never make your future by doing that, how I would like to break free from my past and let it remain just a good memory. At the same time it is also about how I’d like to become independent of certain things which I have made a habit of leaning on. I feel that I depend too much on others and that you can't do that your whole life. Right now it may be working fine but if one of those people or things that you depend on goes away then you’re basically stuck. It is like a weakness which I would like to break free from.

Statement

Images, feelings and even objects wear masks. To go under the skin of objects and make emotions tactile, my work is an exploration. I have been working in two different mediums – sculpture and miniature. This time I have tried to combine both. My work for this show is inspired by an interesting form and word ‘Istari’. Istari which means ‘an iron’ in Pakistan and ‘a woman (wife – a better woman)’ in India. As a woman my work has always been dominated by feminine issues. The miniatures I have painted revolve around the issues of ‘Istaris (women)’ and they are placed on the flat sides of ‘Istaris (irons)’ which are carved out of wood. Both compliment the same idea.

Statement

When I began working with my imagery, banana and gun held a different kind of message for me. A symbol of sexuality and a representation of male dominance. But as my imagery began to develop further these symbols held more for me than just sexual connotations. They became a way of life, a nourishing form. Banana is given to babies as their first feed. The replacement of gun in banana's skin represents the adoption of gun as their first feed. A way of nourishing, growing and becoming strong. Hence the gun acts as the first feed wrapped in a soft flexible form, smooth and pleasant to touch. Banana is nature’s produce, something organic, pure and innocent and the gun in metallic form offers a total contrast. The fact that the gun is installed in banana can hold several connotations. I see it as 'the softness of nature being pierced through with a hard metallic insertion. I believe that most young people before becoming victims of an evil mind are innocent and probably extra sensitive. In the hands of a crafty evil person who uses a sly version of an apparently benign message -divine or otherwise, such youth, innocence and sensitivity are potentially ‘good targets’ turning them into hardened motivated terrorists. The symbol used banana, steel, cloth and gold color depict the opposite entities and their communion. The result is an inclination towards the baser human instincts-the preference of death over life, shedding blood for trifflles, inflicting pain not comfort, COMPLETE SADDISM.

Statement

My work is a reflection of the changing face of our nation, through images of the notable celebrities and public figures, the urban elite and the common man on the street. The acute static demeanor of my portrayals lends itself to movement through the vehicles of vibrant and dynamic colours, the composition of patterns and the gentle Indian spirit reminiscent of centuries past fusing with the invasion of modern advents and amenities. Each depiction is charged with innocuous humor personifying the subtle ironies that permeate daily life, which lay in harmony and yet in conflict with the collision of East and West. My paintings are charged with deceptive simplicity, a mirthful lyricism and a spirit of authenticity. Together, they coalesce to form insightful documentations, a visual timeline of our society through the lens of everyday occurrences, object and people. Around each corner of our cities and villages, we encounter a common and still forgettable site of an overcrowded café, a bustling street, or a flower vendor, yet our deadness of seeing leads us to deplorably disregard the modest and unscathed beauty of our rich culture. Through my images of India’s vast panorama, these paintings provoke a heightened consciousness to challenge the viewer.

Statement

What I paint is what I am… it is not the experiences that pass through the sieve of my self, but the sieve itself _ what I feel and think compels me. The poignancy of the mundane like the hair and the grass, strikes me with awe…. As do customs, taboos and other things - that we associate with! It is all that I glean from existence, from living. And as in life, the process of painting itself, is not predictable… I cannot and do not plan a finished painting before I set out to work…it is an evolving process which starts out at a certain point in space and time and grows, incorporating all the energies in the environment till the time its growth is complete. Specifically, my work is about me and stereotypes of/about women and their physical/moral/ethical attributes. Formally, the two dimensional surface is dealt with by juxtaposing on it marks of varying intensity and 'type': from the tiniest 'pardakht' to loose graphite hair-like marks and watercolor stains - The two-dimensional marks superimposed on the figure/image treated as a 3-d image, reinforcing the 2-dimensionality of the surface...The works, being deeply personal derive from the core of the individual; but this ‘individual’ in turn becomes universal … what is most basic and individual in us is also what we share with the rest of humanity…the pathos, the exhilaration - it is only in the outermost layer that we strive to be identifiable - I concurrently appropriate and eradicate this veneer to sift beyond.

Statement

There is mention of “Nar Kunjar” the leela of Lord Krishna in the ancient epics, it is believed that Radha wanted to ride an elephant so Krishna’s friends got together to turn themselves into one. This series has been created around this theme using the elephant as a symbol. I attempt to create humour in my work, which comes from the perception and depiction of the incongruities of existence which are always present in the folk and tribal art froms from which I draw my inspiration. I look at the scene with a child's curious mind, full of richness as well as complexity. The over all treatment is a subtle blend of an adult's experience and a child like fantasy.

Statement

City of Udaipur, with its glorious ancient Rajput architecture, lakes, hills, gardens and robust people with brilliant colours have always been my prime concern. Rigid angular form in horizontal and vertical lines punctuated with curvilinear motifs of doors, windows, still bluer lakes, domes and turrets all fill me with strong sense of nostalgia. For years, I exploited the visual references of my lovely city to project my own personal world that has been mystical and real as well. In these works, I aim trying to project a dramatic tension through juxtaposition of the allegorical with the real and to attain ethereal and fantasy. I shall go on fathoming the aesthetic treasures yet unearthed.

Statement

My work is holistic, combining the old with the new, printmaking with painting, narrative with abstract and big with small. My initial work experience as a bill board painter and a desire to remain rooted but at the same time open to external influences seems to have helped me find firm grounding for my work. I find signs of Om and Sri to have a universal relevance and like to enrich my paper and canvas with these and other tantric icons. some of my work is in large format and others in small size. I like the challenge of small paintings as they require a disciplined mind and control on technique. For me painting is Brahmanand, the ultimate joy that I like to indulge in.

Statement

Painting for me started at an early age when I was a child and my first canvas emerged when I was about 16-17 years of age. Since then, painting has become synonymous with life for me. I paint because I exist. I exist because I paint. A certain emptiness persists till I take the brush and paint in hand and then things, shapes and lines emerge. I owe a lot to my village home where I grew up amongst festivals, rituals, tradition and of course, astrology. My father, grandfather and great grandfathers were pundits, well-versed astrologers. Astrology, as one knows, deals with planets, their movements, days and minutes and time as a whole. The impressions I inculcated as a child are indelible. They surface in my work as symbols. My recent series, Scenic Times Bygone, is about time which holds an important place in Indian culture, religion, philosophy and literature. My work in abstract form is centred around concepts and signs of life and earth. My process of creating a canvas is gradual. I like to use several media and paint on handmade old paper and materials. My whole life, the past, the ancestry, the handwriting of my father and grandfather are assimilated in my work. My canvas is old paper used for astrological scrolls and book keeping by my ancestors. To create multi-layered images, I use collage, print and traditional miniature painting in oil and watercolours. These merge well with handwritten calligraphy and markings on my paper. While making this series, I had a sense of being a witness to my own ancestry and continue to bring in different images, techniques and combinations in my paintings to infuse them with a new life.

Statement

Most people spend half their life overlooking the joys that we all are blessed with at every turn of our life. Instead they brood over things that they desire and don’t have. The other half of their life is spent fearing death which is the greatest truth of life. Life is for living to the brim and writing one’s own story

Statement

Born in a family of traditional miniature painters of Nathdwara in Rajasthan, I learnt the techniques in my childhood and then worked to develop them further by joining the art college where I did my Ph.D. on Nathdwara Paintings. I follow traditional miniature art practice technique but also like to experiment in new materials and techniques. I like work in small size and use wasli, gold leaf, silver dust, metal work, natural colours in thin lines and doting with glazing effect. I like to work around new concepts. Sometimes I mix the different colours and forms to create a mystical effect around mythology, poetry and contemporary issues.