Gurgaon-based fashion designer-turned-artist Payal Bahl has showcased various moods and forms of Lord Ganesha at her week-long painting exhibition now on at the Experimental Art Gallery of India Habitat Centre here.
Young Payal, who simply loves colours and pursues her passion for painting full-time, says her exhibition on the theme “Om Ganeshaay Namah: The vibrant colours of Ganesha” combines devotion with emotion.
“I have tried to capture the various moods in both traditional and contemporary art forms. This is an attempt to reach back to the past while looking forward, balancing the challenge between the spirit of modernism and the need to capture the essence of a traditional art form. I have drawn inspiration from mythology and philosophies of Hinduism,” says Payal.
The four dozen colourful paintings depict the different faces, forms, avatars and colours of Lord Ganesha. While some paintings have Lord Ganesha playing guitar, flute or tabla, others show the Lord dancing at sunset or riding an elephant.
Most of the paintings comprise works done with oil pastels, posters and glitters on ivory.
According to Payal, there is a correlation between art and fashion. “Knowledge does not go waste. Whatever I have learnt at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, I have tried to replicate in this exhibition. In both art and fashion we require creativity, imagination and judicious use of colours,” says Payal, who has worked at five fashion houses in Gurgaon for a decade.
A painter since her childhood, Payal has been honoured with gold medals at both National and State level drawing competitions. “The driving force behind the current exhibition undoubtedly is my husband. After taking a long look at a few of my initial works, he goaded me to showcase my work to the world.”
The exhibition is open up to this Friday.
