Thooriga, a vibrant Chennai-based art collective consisting of six talented women artists showcased their seventh exhibition at Chennai’s Kalpa Druma between March 20-23rd.
The exhibit featuring vivid, diverse work from four women Yamuna Bala, Charanya Rajesh, Gayathri Bajali and Sathya N Prabhu struck an intricate balance of cultural cohesiveness and individual creativity as it drew us into an alluring experience into that felt rooted in Indian culture yet otherworldly.
Yamuna Bala, who has an academic background in psychology, taps into introspection and understanding of the self in her creative work. She says, ” When people see my paintings I want them to stop, introspect and move on.”
Working with both oils and watercolours, Yamuna’s paintings for this exhibit explore the theme of textured thoughts. She explains, ” Our thoughts are textured. Sometimes they are heavy, holding a weight, other times they tend to be prickly or blurred. In this fast-moving world we often forget to pay attention to these layers and textures, so in my paintings here I bring pause, to reflect on our thoughts and moods.”
Across one wall, Yamuna depicted snippets and characters from the Mahabharat. From the infinite flow of wisdom from Lord Krishna and Duryodhana’s smouldering jealousy to Bhishma’s guilt from being unable to stop injustice, Karna’s warring thoughts torn between loyalty and emotions and Arjuna’s determination and sharpness, each painting is a convergence of psychology and mythology interwoven with profound yet relatable messages.
In another painting she showcased Ramayana from an empowering and refreshing representation of Sita, capturing a ferocity that feels distinct yet resonant with women everywhere. She says, ” Usually Sita is portrayed as someone timid, but here I’ve shown her as a courageous princess who is being supported by the nature around her. The message I’m trying to convey is that women today need to learn courage and self-confidence from her.”
Charanya Rajesh, who began her artistic journey in 2018 is focused on realism. With every work shaping up as an ode to the grace, beauty and strength of women, Charanya’s paintings are a stunning depiction of the real world and the place of women in it woven delicately with an entrancing mysticism.
Explaining of the paintings she has exhibited she says, “Recently I’ve been working with a series of paintings where the central focus is on a woman but there are mural paintings in the backdrop of the women in a way combining tradition with modernity.”
Infusing symbolism through the use of flowers in her paintings as well as playing with the impact of lights and shadows, Charanya’s work is colourful and hypnotic yet feels like a genuine slice of life spread across canvas.
While Charanya’s style leans on delicate details, Sathya N Prabhu’s representation of women is raw in a way that feels familiar. With a signature style that shows only side view of a woman, Sathya channels regular household activities and daily life into bold moments of creativity.
Speaking of her work where mundanity transforms into magic, she says, “My paintings are almost like looking back at memorable moments in your life. I depict normal human tendencies whether that’s fiddling with things – like instruments – we find lying around our house or the different ways a mother and child interact with each other on a daily basis whether that’s feeding or playing together.”
Her representations of the peace of simply living life her interwoven seamlessly into her other work encapsulating Nayaka murals. She says, “These types of murals, which were common in temples before are a representation of so much vast knowledge. As these types of murals aren’t as visible these days, I try to reflect some of the style in my work too so that people can still be aware of it.”
Gayathri Bajali’s work is as much a blend of culture and daily life as Sathya’s is. An avid traveller who enjoys treks and temple tours, Gayathri who experiments with mediums and styles has exhibited an array of eye-catching stories spanning abstract work, pen and paper work as well as vibrant, intricate paintings.
Speaking of one painting, she says, ” That is a temple from Kanchipuram and what strikes me is the artistry ; how they could do so much at that time. Nowadays, people are also not taking care of the temple. So my painting captures the temple how I would like future generations to see them.”
On another piece sketched with pen, she says, ” There used to be a temple in front of my house and I used to see this elephant everyday. How people fed it and how it responded to people. That scene was always in my mind and it came out in this piece.”
Whether expressing herself spontaneously as in her abstract work – a large of splash of colours that draws you into its orbit with its creative freedom – or experimenting with leather by reinterpreting the traditional Tholu Bommalata puppetry art on canvas, Gayathri’s work captures brightness and joy across each stroke.
Beginning its life as a Whatsapp group to now presenting its seventh exhibition as a collective, Thooriga is rooted in traditional signatures and distinct creativity of these incredibly talented women.
Showcasing various mediums, styles and concepts all brought together by a shared love for women and culture, Thooriga‘s four-day show at Kalpa Druma in Gopalapuram, Chennai, was an uplifting celebration of artistry and its nuances.
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