One walks around with an air of delight looking at the exhibits at Siri Institute of Painting at Himayathnagar. The big Siri family includes men and women who are pursuing their dream in art. The group includes homemakers, retired people, professionals and even corporate employees who quit their cushy jobs to work with colours and canvases. On a busy afternoon, the members dirty their hands in sand to create wonders in art. Talking about the ongoing sand art workshop, Swamy, the founder of Siri says, “The workshop is the outcome of our trip to Khajuraho. We wanted our members to get inspired from real carvings.”
With a bag of sand at his side, Y. Sri Krishna, a retired employee gently applies sand paste on thermacol. Another participant Jyotishwar proudly shows us one of the carvings he has created. V. Lalita, a retired banking professional recalls her working days when she would pursue embroidery even late at night. “I would start doing embroidery at 9 p.m. and continue till 2 a.m.,” she recalls with a smile. “Art has given me a new life,” affirms Mary Verghese. She worked as a corporate for five years before deciding to resign. “I felt like a bird in a cage while working. Now I am free and doing what I always wanted to do,” she exults. While Dr. Himabindu works for a corporate eye hospital, Rajeshwari runs an art centre in Mahendra Hills and takes time out to learn the nuances.
Swamy says the members go on outdoor trips frequently to seek inspiration. “Besides the recent trip to Khajuraho, we had earlier visited Alampur and Warangal. We take photographs to refer to them while painting,” he points out. Sharing their experiences of sand painting, the group says, “Hats off to the artisans of Khajuraho who created such wondrous carvings on rock without any guidance. We constantly refer to the photographs and have so many sophisticated tools yet it is such a challenging work.”
The institute is also having an exhibition of works by women artists to coincide with the Women’s Day celebrations. With diverse themes, the 35 works include landscapes, portraits and abstract works. Jyotishwar’s special work was also part of the exhibition (“Men don’t get a special day like women to display their works”.) He created a Mount Kailash made of sand and stones brought from his Amarnath sojourn.
The exhibition is open for public till March 31.
