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Paintings by Smita Srivastava (left) and Ujwala Prabhu
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It is not often that one finds a sound location for an exhibition. Indian artists, Smita Srivastava and Ujwala Prabhu managed just that when they held their joint show recently at the Standard Chartered Gallery (67, Gulshan Avenue), giving art lovers and regular bank customers a striking eyeful of their individual styles. Having met in Dhaka, they have in common a rekindled passion for art, after a prolonged spell of unrelated careers.
Smita recalled sketching a lot as a child and, being a keen embroiderer, was inspired by the bursts of colour the threads produced. She took an art course at Delhi's Triveni Kala Sangam under the supervision of well-known artist, Rameshwar Broota. A science teacher by training, Smita attributes her zoology degree to the fact that there was plenty of drawing involved. Taking her children's advice to start painting again, Smita picked up her brushes just under a year ago.
Living in Dhaka appears to have drawn out the latent artist in Smita. To her surprise, such was her addiction that she painted daily, her favourite medium being oil on canvas. “It's been a super chance to showcase my pictures and I've had very varied feedback”. The bottom line is to stick with her current style, so as not to detract from her core techniques. She plans to continue painting, although “I may not be as prolific with my time here.”
As a child, Ujwala's artistic streak was encouraged by her mother, and she remembers being fascinated by faces. Her husband's job took her to Shanghai, Paris, Alexandria and back to India, when it clicked that she wanted to take up painting again. Encouraged by her husband, Ujwala attended the second year programme of the painting/ sculpture BFA at the Delhi College of Art and furthered her artistic education at New York's Art Students League. In Dhaka, her art blog http://ujwala.word press.com and involvement with a local art group boosted her morale.
“Dhaka is a very arty place and offers tremendous opportunities to come up close and personal with many artists,” says Ujwala. For her, the exhibition was a means to get feedback for the new kid on the block. “When you're starting something different, you wish for others' opinions; am I going in the right direction?” Using oil, acrylic, charcoal and pen and ink, Ujwala's style is constantly evolving. She believes that nothing should stand in the way of embarking on a not-indulged interest, and recommends the http://www.wet-canvas.com website to budding artists.
Naturally, the women have had a positive influence on each other, providing necessary support. Working towards a goal gives a sense of purpose and they are planning a further exhibition towards the end of the year.
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