The joy of colour is evident in Kadambari Mehta’s exhibition, Serendipity, on view at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Kadambari’s paintings are largely pure abstracts, splashes of colour on canvas that blend together to create various effects, sometimes representing a theme and at other times becoming just a play of colour on canvas. Most of her themes, like Forest , Sky and Storm largely draw from nature, bringing out the energy of the subject or phenomenon simply through colour and their application on canvas.
Forest appears glazed and deep, in shades of blue, orange, white and shades of greens that not obviously associated with a forest, but the painting still communicates the rainy damp of a forest over thick, dense vegetation. Her Sky is simply composed of a gradient of blue, while Storm is wilder and fiery, depicted in shades of purple-grey, deep blue and unusually, red, white and yellow that seems to convey a certain potent stillness betraying a hidden power. Kadambari as is the wont of a young artist simply works with colours, playfully mixing them simply to explore. To the viewer, it appears as though Kadambari is at the beginning of a journey to find her own voice in colour, as perhaps is apparent in the work Pink , where she simply works with the colour.
“My works are all about the portrayal and use of colours. Over the years I have worked with many mediums and styles, but I took to abstracts a few years ago. I am comfortable with abstracts. I like splashing colour and trying out new things using a knife or a sponge. I express myself through colour in abstracts,” says the student of art. “I don’t plan my work and I don’t try to communicate through the painting because I don’t want to speak for it. I want to see if my work communicates to other people. I simply enjoy working with colour.”
Serendipity in association with Manjira Foundation will be on view today at the Bhavan’s Art Gallery, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Race Course Road. For details, contact 9743733560.
