One of the most fascinating aspects of art is that it can lend beauty to everyday objects that most people usually do not notice.
Father and daughter, Paresh and Aditi Hazra do just that in their exhibition at “Musings from Shantiniketan” organised by the Galerie De’Arts at Taj West End’s Art Corridor, each in their individual series “Dragon Fly”. Probably the only common factor between both their series is the perceiver: who becomes the creator (that is the artist himself) in Paresh’s works and becomes the subject in Aditi’s. In both their works, the figure is seen in close proximity with the dragonfly, which becomes the object of perception. The perceiver becomes the common factor because the series is partly a reflection of their memories at Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan, where both generations studied.
Paresh’s works (those other than the “Dragon Fly” series too) are complex and layered, though partly because of his choice of medium. Metallic shades feature prominently against the dark backgrounds and stand out amidst the brooding, green figures who are dressed in bright colours. The background features nature-inspired motifs, largely flowers, with gold-embossed lines sometimes coiled around in the background.
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The dragonflies in his “Dragon Fly” series are a fascinating silver against the dark background, creating a rather dramatic fantastical effect when combined with the gold and the green.
Paresh works with the unusual medium of old-egg tempera in many of his works, accounting for much of the depth, texture and richness of his imagery. But it is his vivid imagination that brings life to his works, which, he says, are simply like child’s play. That is to say that he has no intentions of being didactic, but is simply fulfilling his duty of being an artist by doing what he loves to do: paint.
Aditi too is equally candid about her works, which again do not contain any hidden messages. They are, according to Aditi, simply fruits of the artist’s exploration of the world around. The “Dragon Fly” series is a major part of her work and for Aditi, the series is simply a manifestation of her childhood memories, of chasing dragonflies which for her become mythological creatures.
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These memories manifest in her paintings as herself with the dragonfly perched on her body. She uses the acrylic medium to create a bright, graphic image that is a contrast to the texturally layered imagery of her father.
The exhibition also features her printmaking works, (Aditi studied printmaking at Kala Bhavana) largely works done in coloured woodcuts, wood prints, intaglio and viscosity. These works, consciously or unconsciously, take on a slightly surrealistic tone in works such as “I-Spy”, “Inner Circle” and “Vision”, where the main motif is an eye.
Aditi also experiments with nude figures, partly in her “Dragon Fly” series and in other works such as “I Am Not Perfect” and “I Am Bird”.
“Musings from Shantiniketan” will be on view until November 13 at the Taj West End, Racecourse Road.