Malavika Reddy is on a break after having completed her graduation at The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda. Before she heads to a master’s programme, she worked on a new series ‘Without Acid’, now on display at Kalakriti art gallery and The Gallery Café.
The series of 16 paintings, mixed media on acrylic, involved eight to nine months of work, she recollects, which were triggered off by the need to send across the message of the possibility of getting a high through fine arts rather than recreational drugs. “Through friends, I’ve heard of youngsters taking to drugs. I knew about the Goan form of psychedelic art and researched on it. My intention is to make a point that one can get trippy on art and needn’t take to drugs,” she says.
Malavika uses motifs from the realm of religion to arrive at this high.
Through a kaleidoscope of vibrant hues, she presents images of Durga, Krishna, Balaram, Subhadra, Panchmukh Ganesha and Shiva among others. The fine detailing lends a three-dimensional quality to some of the images. The artist is an ardent follower of Isha yoga and meditation and wanted to use Gods and Goddesses to arrive at that meditative quality of art. “This isn’t really the Goan psychedelic art but my interpretation of it,” she says.
Also on display are enlarged prints of the original works, on canvas.
Malavika is the daughter of well known artist DLN Reddy and had earlier exhibited a collection of portraits ‘Eye Speak’.
‘ Without Acid’ by Malavika Reddy is on display at Kalakriti art gallery and The Gallery Café, Road no.10, Banjara Hills, till October 30.
