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Artist Syta sees divinity in all paintings

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

In bright hues: Visitors look at the ‘Gateway to the divine’ series of paintings on in Puducherry.

PUDUCHERRY: Blues… Shiva’s neck is blue, both Rama and Krishna are dark, so is Kali… Blue is also the colour of the sky, from where the ‘devatas’ come down to earth. This is artist Syta’s explanation for the many hues of blues that she uses in her paintings on the pantheon of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

Artist Syta’s ‘Gateway to the Divine’ series of 29 paintings is exhibited at Aurodhan Art Gallery at 33, Francois Martin Street, Kuruchikuppam. The exhibition began on July 20 and will be on till July 30. The gallery will be open between 9 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.

“I grew up looking at Italian paintings by Michelangelo and Da Vinci in churches. So, I think that paintings are not just paintings, but that they have a kind of divinity, which is why I choose to make paintings of gods and religious symbols. Also, I read several spiritual books and those too influence me. These paintings are mainly about Hindu gods because I am doing them in India. If I had been in Europe or France I would have probably painted Christian symbols,” she says.

The faces of the Gods that she has painted — many of Siva and Parvathy, Krishna, Kali, Ganesha, Sita and Rama — are a mixture of Indian, African and Western faces. The African influence is because Syta was born there.

“I try to retain the Indian influence for the body, clothes and ornaments. But, I don’t try to make them glitter with gold but let the Gods emit their auras instead,” she explains as to why the paintings are so simple.

The paintings are very bright and colourful since Syta says India is a country of colours, and so are the Gods. “But the Gods in Nepal were so different, they were not of very bright colour.”

This is her second exhibition in Puducherry. The comics that she had read earlier were her influence the first time. But, for this series Syta chose to draw inspiration from the temples that she visited in Nepal, Vietnam, Angkorvat, Laos and Asia. “I have done four paintings on the Buddha – his calm face and also his face while he is awake. There are also some paintings that symbolise religion. They are not direct symbols but what I imagine them to be.”

This exhibition also has a few paintings of women and one of angels.

After doing a series of paintings on gods and goddesses, Syta is now moving on to making paintings of the people of Asia.

“Those paintings will be on women from China, people of Rajasthan, Ladakh and so on. I visited these places to draw inspiration for paintings about India, which is a place I love.”

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