‘Faces’ is the theme of the solo exhibition titled Drama, featuring the works of Bengaluru-based artist Gouri Shirish Velhal. The collection of 30 paintings, on display at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, depict vivid identities “inspired to create a drama”. The paintings are colourful and draw the viewer in.
The art works not only depict the artist’s innate feel for faces, but also her visualisation of poetry, peace, and beauty in each visage.
Explaining what the play of vivid identities mean to her, Gouri says, “Everyday we are surrounded by different faces. The ‘drama’ here showcases some of the them as my characters. We worship faces, we fall in love with some of them. The variety of such realistic, evocative and striking individualities inspired me to create Drama ,” says Gouri who has created nearly 100 faces so far, each with a different emotion.
Pune-born Gouri, 40, who graduated in Graphic Design (Fine Arts) from the Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya went into advertising initially and later entered the IT field in the Graphic Design domain. “I did animation for e-learning for 11 years,” says Gouri, who has been residing in Bengaluru at Kengeri Satellite Town for the last six years. She is happy she now has the time to do what she always wanted to as well as present solo shows.
“Although my initial interest in art was ignited due to my father Nandakishore Jagannath Malavade who was an art teacher himself, I was also drawn towards Jamini Roy’s creations. But I developed a style of my own for drawing eyes, which gives my paintings a stamp of identity. I am happy that people have started recognising this aspect in my work,” says Gouri, displaying some of her acrylic on canvas paintings at the exhibition.
Although she says human eyes are mostly black and white, she sees colour in them to signify other positive emotions. “I have named each of my faces as Kalika, Arya, Aasmi, as I have certain characteristics attached to them. While Kalika is a calmer version of Kali Maata, I visualised one of my friends, who has a take-it-easy, cool persona, in Aasmi, ,” explains Gouri.
Gouri says when she attempts to paint a tribal girl, or an Odissi dancer she contemplates on what colours their jewellery or dress can be. “Even a colourful dupatta that I come across makes me visualise the drape of the girl I want to draw,” she says.
“I also use water colours. In total, I think I have attempted nearly 400 paintings, animations, illustrations, caricatures and sketches up to now. Caricatures have also been one of my favourites as I love to observe what I can exactly exaggerate to showcase them perfectly. Some of them include Kannada director Puttanna Kanagal, cricketer Kirmani and several actresses from the film industry,” says Gouri, who is also a singer, trained in Bhavageete and Devaranama . She has also taken part in several group art shows .
Drama will be on view till December 30 at Chitrakala Parishath.
