Govardhan

  Acrylic on canvas

The human figure is probably God’s biggest gifts to artistry . It can be interpreted in a million ways . Each painter , every sculptor , caricaturist , and whosoever decides to draw , including a four-year-old child would probably have his or her own rendition of the human form. And I am no exception . The protagonist on my canvas is that peasant , herdsman , the women , who toil under the hot sun and in the dust laden fields . I love to portray them in the moments of their rest and respite . Endearing scenes and objects come to my mind . Wooden toys in the basket , the tired peasant playing music as if to sooth his aching muscles . The woman , tending to her daughter and goat alike . It’s the strongest possible narrative which emanates from the depth of my life . People connected to the earth , and depicted in the earthy colors of olive , orange , and brown . The simplicity of their lives and persona , were embellished by detailing on their clothes with motifs and patterns – perhaps a dream of what they imagined to become . Over the years , my environment changed and so did the characters and colors on my canvas . I experimented with brighter colors and enjoyed using them immensely . Objects found their way into my canvas . They became richer , with motifs and embellishments beyond the ambit of the farmer. The other major shift that came into my work has been the introduction of landscape , in the form of trees mainly . This is a subject that was already a part of my earlier work but has taken centerstage , through different compositions and media . This has also given me the opportunity to work in the very painstaking medium of pen on canvas and charcoal on canvas too .