“I cannot imagine my life without painting. I was never very good in studies. Art is God's gift to me,” says Radhika Seth, a young artist who is having her first solo ‘Unusual Landscapes' at the Arpana Fine Arts Gallery. Though she has been painting for almost ten years, Seth is having a public display of her pieces — around 20 of them – for the first time.
Her paintings are bright and vibrant boasting an intriguing and unique juxtaposition of urban architecture with landscapes. Works like ‘Keyhole' and ‘Horizon' give the impression of looking at a far away land, green and bright through a window, the meadows always separated by a wall. The strokes in her paintings are bold and the pigment thick. While the striking ‘Singing Ganesha' is an abstract painting of Lord Ganesh, the ‘Blue Guitar' is her ode to music. The intricate details and a perfect sunset captured in the painting titled ‘Reflections' is remarkable. “My paintings are inspired by my own imagination. I look at other artists work too, in exhibitions and online, but what I paint is what comes to mind and what I feel at the time I begin to paint a piece”.
The artist has no qualms in admitting that sometimes she would ask her mother to help her draw that line or get that curve right, when she couldn't after being at it for a long time.
Radhika has studied fine arts for four years at the South Delhi Polytechnic Institute and also attended a non-collegiate programme for a year at the Delhi College of Arts. She is all praise for her mentor, the acclaimed Arpana Caur, who, she says has helped her improve her techniques and mix colours better. “She is very encouraging and tells me that I have my own unique style”.
(The show is on till today at Arpana Fine Arts Gallery at 4, Siri Fort Institutional Area. For details call 011-26496289)
