The depictions of gods and goddesses in various avatars on temple walls are a common sight in the State, and nowadays, famous scenes from scripture are seen on living room walls too.
Mythological figures have inspired Indian artists over the years and led to numerous depictions of scenes from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. It was an exhibition of such murals from the Ramayana that inspired city-based artist Ragini Krishnan to try her hand at professional art. Her decision has paid off, as her first set of paintings titled ‘Krishna Nee Begane Baro,’ depicting Lord Krishna’s early life and his romance with Radha, is to be exhibited at the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad from September 3 to 10.
“I have always been a devotee of Lord Krishna and find his life to be rich in material to draw upon. While painting has been close to my heart since my school years, marriage and motherhood never gave me the time to indulge my passion. Now that my life is more settled, I have time to experiment and create works,” she says.
In the comfort of an airy studio at her residence in PTP Nagar in the city, Ragini has created around 15 works, including her perspective of the famous ‘Kaliya Mardhanam’ and ‘Gopika Vastrapaharanam’. Despite the complexity of her paintings, she considers herself to be a newcomer to the nuances of art. “I am fortunate to have two wonderful gurus in Prince Thonnakkal and Varghese Punaloor, who are guiding me in the finer aspects of the craft. I am glad that my work has been noticed already and a lot of credit for that goes to the Srishti Art Gallery in Hyderabad, who are organising the upcoming exhibition as well. If things go well, I am planning to do a series of works based on the Shakuntalam .”
Ragini feels everyone should give their innate potential a chance at some point in life, balancing it with other responsibilities. “A lot of people put aside things they are really good at as they get bogged down by life or fear of failure. No matter which stage of life you are in, it is important to try your hand at what you really like and follow your heart, ” she says with the satisfaction of a person who has achieved a dream.
