“The title of the show says it all: enchanted,” exclaims curator Sangeeta Chopra when asked to comment on the exhibition of French artist Maïté Delteil’s works that she is hosting at Art Musings. “Enchanted is the perfect word to describe how one feels when faced with works by Maïté Delteil. Her paintings are songs of praise, celebrating life and nature.”
Maïté’s works have an almost fantasy-like touch. Her canvases manifest a paradise that one conjures in an idyllic dream; a world where lush green trees are laden with plump juicy fruit; birds chirrup happily as they flit from one branch to another; and babies bask in the tender attention of their mothers.
However, scratch the surface and one encounters Maïté’s attentiveness to detail. Colourful, vibrant and innocent, her works have a feel-good-factor that conveys the meaning of life without being morbid or dark.
One wonders whether her husband, the well-known artist Sakti Burman, has had an influence on her art. Sangeeta responds, “As husband and wife, there is certainly an exchange of concepts and discussions but both have a distinctive style and visual vocabulary that makes their works different.”
On the eve of Enchanted , Art Musings will unveil a coffee table book on Maïté Delteil. Of the book, Sangeeta says “This monograph hopes to cover different aspects of the artist’s journey, revealing insights into Maïté’s mind and heart. It includes in-depth essays by Dr. Alka Pande and Anupa Mehta, and poems by Ranjit Hoskote. Dr. Alka Pande considers the nature of the artist’s journey in relation to her bicultural influences, and delves into Maïté’s personal histories in a conversation with the artist. Anupa Mehta offers an analysis of the artist’s body of work. Ranjit Hoskote’s poems, chosen from his published work, offer a correspondence to Maïté’s concerns.”
Bottomline: Paintings that celebrate life and nature.
Enchanted: A solo show of Maïté Delteil’s works
When: January 12 to February 2, 2013
Where: Art Musings Gallery, Colaba, Mumbai
