Original artwork description:

Pitara is my still life series in oils that turns a Flemish eye on my country.
To me, each object in these still life paintings represents the human world behind that object - from the hand that made it, to the one that owned it, to the cultural associations, personal memories and emotions attached to its use. My still life speak the hidden language of human artifacts.

These photorealistic paintings present the rich, earthy and warm tones of traditional India, capturing glimpses of its culture and food. The deep shadows and play of light on traditional materials draw inspiration from Flemish paintings and so does the multi-layered technique used to render these still life paintings. Through this series, I present Indian heritage through the lens of Flemish still life - a Western idiom vastly different from the art traditions of India. The language is Flemish and still life, the ideas and expressions Indian.

Saawan is a paean to the Great Indian Monsoons. The monsoons define the Indian subcontinent, deeply impacting our lives, livelihood, our culture and food. The petrichor is commonly greeted in India with the crunch of deep fried pakoras and the wafting fragrance of masala chai flavored with ginger and cardamom. This photorealistic painting captures this eternal bond between season, food and culture. Rendered in the multi-layered technique of the Dutch masters with super thin layers of glazes, the sharpness of the green chillies contrasts beautifully with the myriad hues of the crispy pakoras, the chai looks welcoming in the glass tumblers as well as traditional terracotta kulhads, as the light warms up the reflections on the old brass kettle and the stone it sits on. Soak in the delights of the monsoon.

Materials used:

Oil on primed pintura fine grain canvas

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