Bharatanatyam exponent Komala Varadan has produced three dozen paintings on Indian dance forms like Mohiniattam, Kuchipudam, Bhangra and Manipuri which will be mounted at a week-long exhibition at the Russian Centre of Science & Culture here beginning this Wednesday.
“Dance in Art, Artistry in Dance” features 28 paintings. All the paintings like dancing Ganesha and ballerina are contemporary ones.
Komala Varadan started painting as a hobby but it has now become a full-fledged passion for her. “People think painting is my hidden talent but this is certainly not the case. I have been paintings for years and even these days make it a point to paint every day.”
In 1965, she painted under the watchful eyes of painter V. R. Rao in Bangalore. “He was based in London but after a heart attack settled down in Bangalore. He saw rangoli drawn by me during our house warming party. He requested my husband to paint in his house. Dozens of artists used to do artistic impressions at his place. So on Sundays we would go to his home and I would paint there. After my husband migrated to Mysore, I continued my passion for painting.”
In her paintings, she has captured the fluidity of movements of dancers.
Seven students from Komala Varadan’s institute for promotion of art, literature and culture Kalaikoodam in Delhi will present a short Bharatanatyam recital.
