In Indian mythology, Krishna is associated with somebody who fully celebrates life.
The peak of this expression of celebration is his music, when he plays the flute standing on one foot, the other crossed around his ankle.
It is this image of the flute-player that is almost a constant in Swati Pasari’s “Soulink: Celebrating Life”, an exhibition of acrylics on canvas (and fibre glass) which is on view at the Sublime Galleria.
The flute player inhabits a dynamic world, of bright colours, abstract motifs and shapes and simply beams of lines and colours that seemed to be forming against a dark background almost like an unfolding universe.
In some paintings, like “Three sided infinity”, the image stands out clearly in the canvas wielding a long radiant flute and accompanied by female figures, also seen playing the flute.
In other paintings, he is accompanied by musicians, drummers in colourful attire wielding colourful drums, such as in “When Sight becomes Sound”.
Even when he is accompanied by musicians he sometimes merges into the background, where it is hard to distinguish from the other figures and faces in the painting, as in “The Perfect Blend” and “The Blue Fairy”.
There are other paintings where the artist simply paints musicians (“Summer Wine”” or “Experiencing Infinity”), sometimes as disparate figures and sometimes blending with the shapes and colours.
But many times it appears as though it is the figures that appear like shapes (“The Frequency of Pure Consciousness” or “Transcendence”).
Through her paintings, it appears as though the artist is trying to express that all the myriad creatures in the universe, living and non-living, and are all one.
Meanwhile, the constantly recurring motifs of the musicians and musical instruments seem to suggest that the artist likens the unfolding of the universe to a musical orchestra or a symphony.
And the interplay of colours bright against dark, to the viewer, appears like complementing opposite values that life is made up of.
“I have used a lot of vibrant colours in my series to uplift and to reflect positivity. The abstract figures and the musical instruments represent the connection between creation and God’s music.
We are all connected to God,” says Swati. “My paintings are all about love, happiness, positivity, vibrancy, and living and loving life the way it is.”
Swati’s lines are jagged and angular, even her circles (sometimes colours) are sharp lending a surreal edge, as in “Earth”, sometimes evocating a certain sharpness that is unfamiliar to the realms she is exploring, which to the viewer’s mind usually evoke softness, of something soothing.
Swati Pasari’s paintings will be on view until July 15 at Sublime Galleria, 24, 8 floor, UB City, Vittal Mallya Road.
For details, contact 9900238847.
