With the advent of contemporary art exhibitions visual form of art has become very rare genre of artwork. Visual artist Aashima Mehrotra is set to present her Visual Art collection called ‘Ambari’ from 30th November to 6th December at Lalit Kala Akademi. This show is curated by Shrikant Pandey.
This collection of paintings by Aashima Mehrotra reflects the thematic unity which connects three sets of paintings.
The manifestation of cosmic energy in its visible and perceptible form which the artist has put on her canvas as she perceives while sitting with her color and brush under open sky. Being with nature has enabled her to recognize the dynamic patterns of the cosmic energy and that has given rise to the idea of Ambari. Artist has innovatively used an encaustic medium to depict dynamic patterns.
Ambari also depicts an innovative art form, where the heritage buildings and town ships are painted against the all embracing sky so as to give rise to half on half style. The color which she selects is indeed mystical and creates an enigmatic aura around the old cities with rich architectural continuity.
Finally Ambari also tells us the story of human survival as reflected in ‘tug of life’.
In a candid conversation artist Aashima Mehrotra says, “I am a visual artist and a Civil Servant based in Delhi. I have had intense interest in art since childhood. I was always inspired by people and mysteries of nature and to hone my skills, I studied the works of celebrated artists like Nandlal Bose, Amrita Shergil, Ilya Repin, Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso. Though largely self-taught, my painting skills matured under legendary painter Veer Munshi and Banshidhar Pratihary from Shanti Niketan. My job in Railways and Tourism helped me to get inspired from the diversity of Indian towns and various art forms. All my works are a reflection of my experiences and my personality. Today, I am a visual artist with my own visual language and ‘ISM’. The sky is where I often looked for answers. It’s changing colors, its depth, it’s pregnant silence, it’s serenity has always filled me with a myriad of emotions. Ambari simultaneously stands for the metaphor of space and the element of sky thereby pointing out an oxymoron that space is not a void but a possibility. In Ambari, the invisible pattern of cosmic energy finds varied expressions through encaustic or in half on half manner celebrating cosmic consciousness and my intimate conversation with the cosmos. The mysteries of nature are un- coded through the interplay of color, sound, wind and aroma enriching them sensory experience. Ambari echoes the stories of human experiences and challenges of human survival, simultaneously depicting its hardship and hedonism.”
