Shapes, symbols and structures intersect with a quiet resonance at Echoes of Form, an exhibition at Chennai’s DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum.
Inaugurated on April 24 and showcasing, till May 4, the exhibit brings together distinct art styles and practices from three different artists to explore form, rhythm and harmony rooted in seamless blend of intimacy and expansiveness.
Architect-turned-artist Dhenuka Nandhu who channels her passion for semiotics into a delicate artistry has finally shaped her life-long love for art into a professional space with this exhibit debuting her collection.
She says, “I follow the concept of semiotics, which I hold very close to my heart. I see signs and symbols everywhere, often feeling they come from a higher power. So I wanted to explore this symbolism in my art. I started with symbols from ancient architecture and formed by own semiotic style; for instance by blending signs from baroque architecture and our kolam.”
Her works at the exhibit span 56 pen-on-paper works and eight mixed-media works based in mythology. Vibrant, delicate and versatile, each of her pieces is unique as it explores form and rhythms within its cohesive yet distinct style.
If Dhenuka’s professional background in architecture shapes her artistic style, for Uma Maheswari A, artist and founder of Flying Rainbow Creative Art Centre, the imaginative forms of childhood is the foundation of her creativity.
With an authentic cultural signature exploring the form of tradition wooden Marappachi dolls at the core of her work, Uma not only aims to revive the dying traditional South Indian craft with a touch of modernity, but captures how much creativity is embedded in the form of these dolls.
She says, “These wooden dolls have been designed to spark imagination. You can dress up the dolls as you like, making their forms unique to you, your personality or culture.”
The third artist showcasing her work is Reya V, Uma’s teenage daughter, who seems to have found an artistic path and identity completely her own. Laden with vibrant splashes of colour and the charming perspective of youth, Reya’s work is experimental and explorative as she seamlessly moves from landscapes to portraits and facial structures with creative abundance that shines with the spark of an aspiring talent. In her work, it becomes quite clear how form can evolve with each new experience.
Echoes of Form weaves a narrative that embeds symbolism, cultural identity and self-expression into varied yet cohesive visual experience. Showcasing diversity and connection all at once, traditions, abstractions and perspectives intertwine to create an experience that feels as personal as it does universal.
Echoes of Form is also a fundraising exhibit, aiming to raise funds for a special school in Madurai through the sale of their paintings.
The exhibit will be showing till May 4 at the Kadambari Art Gallery inside DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum. While a ticket required to enter DakshinChitra but the exhibit is free to visit.
Planning to check out Echoes of Form this weekend? Visit Lyrical Muse for more arts coverage around the world.
Leave a Reply