Many writers have admitted that there tends to be a little bit of themselves in each book they write. Artists are, perhaps, no different.
Deepa Nath’s series on the girl child is a leaf out of her past. Through ink drawings, mixed media and etchings, she brings back memories of her growing years with her sister. Her art portrays two girls in the age group of 11 to 15, transitioning from childhood to adolescence. The girls are clad in long skirts, often with different floral motifs that hark back to an era. “Because that’s what we all wore at home,” Deepa mentions with a smile. The traditional muggu or rangoli occupies a specific place in some of the paintings. Deepa recalls her childhood memories of having spent time with her grandmother, who would wake up the sisters early morning to do the rangoli.
Exploring a different paradigm from this girl child series is ‘Raasa’, Deepa’s collection of paintings that offer a contemporary take on Kamasutra. The artist has done a similar series earlier, completely in charcoal. The new series is an extension of the concept, with Sanskrit references through calligraphy incorporated in the paintings. Deepa urges viewers to look at man and woman beyond the sexual connotation one associate with Kamasutra. She highlights the intimacy, bonding and tenderness between a couple as well as mutual respect and admiration. The angular jawlines and sharp lines are distinctive of her paintings. The elephant motif recurs in the ‘Raasa’ series. “I wanted to use a traditional motif that stands for the era in which Kamasutra was written,” says Deepa. The paintings and etchings ‘My Musings’ will be on display at Muse art gallery, hotel Marriott, and have been done by Deepa Nath in the last six months. The two series will soon travel to Nehru Centre, London. “A few paintings have been sold, the remaining I’ll be showcasing in London,” says Deepa.
