Lyrical canvas

An artist brings Gulzar’s poetry to life with her recent collection of paintings

The mastery of Gulzar’s writing often twitches to extend a friendly hand to his readers. You could either place your tired head on it for a while or, shake it warmly. In the humdrum exchanges in Ijaazat (1987), the niggling conciliation with separation in Piya Tora Kaisa Abhimaan, the crisp conviction in Hilsa, or the marked restraint in Yeh Khel Aakhir Kisliye, Gulzar’s garnishing of poetry is there irrespective of literary forms. Minjal Mukhija, a Bengaluru-based artist was drawn into this poetic poise. Her collection of paintings called Submerged is a visual exploration of his verses.

Mukhija shares her meditative fixation over his writing began with Raat Pashmine Ki, one of the most celebrated poetry collections by Gulzar. “After reading that book, there was no stopping. I kept reading one after the other, and that’s how my journey into his poetry lives on,” she says. The artist elaborates that taking her figments of inspired imagination on to the canvas resulted from a strong urge: 

“Reading his work would sharpen my thoughts. I’d be transported to a world where vivid images floated around me; one image led to another giving birth to a seamless sequence.” She has captured that enthused state of her mind in these art pieces.

Mukhija was the happiest when Gulzar finally granted her the permission to work on his poems. He had previously asked her to wait for a year. The oil and water paintings that comprise Submerged are a direct window to the profoundness she experiences on reading his words. As an artist who is still discovering the writer-lyricist’s vast body of work, Mukhija feels she has not been able to grasp it all yet. The current exhibition of paintings is only an expression of her indebtedness to Gulzar for “being a constant guiding star.” 
 
Till: January 10, except Sunday
At: Cymroza Art Gallery, Hormuz Mansion, Breach Candy
Call: 9821141740

Inward call

Finding courage in faith, an artist evokes her lockdown musings in this art series

For some, faith can be a confounding area of private teachings. For many others, it is recourse to clarity. Abstract artist Sahaya Sharma Kapur’s collection, Luminescence, identifies pathways to truer devotion, focus and awareness, as she turns to the mystic world of Indian scriptures. The triangle is a characteristic symbol in her work. 

Kapur says, “Spirituality and abstract painting align at a common point. In abstract art, you are dealing with shapes, colours and textures. There are no immediate symbols for thought. Like spirituality, the art form is open to a viewer’s interpretation.”

She sees the Gayatri Mantra and Shiva as constructs wrought in creation, much opposed to the destruction we have faced in the last two years. Kapur adds that it feels comforting to be able to present her work in a physical world now. 

Till: January 12
At: Jamaat, National House, Colaba.
Call: 9323720846

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