Divinity in colour

Sheetal

Artist Ravinder Kumar Sharma and Lord Shiva are inseparable. Come Shivratri and we see this renowned Chandigarh-based artist exhibiting his paintings capturing Lord Shiva’s various moods and forms, year after year. Keeping this tradition alive, Sharma has come up with an exhibition this Shivratri too, titled Beyond Self. The subject of his exhibition is Shiva and prakriti, the better half of Shiva. He says, “Like Maha Shivratri is all about celebrating the marriage of Shiva, and by that we must not forget his wife which signifies prakriti (nature). For me, the true devout of Mahadev is the one who lives in harmony with nature.”

From the Beej mantra in a monochromatic painting to the motif of kirtimukha above the linga in another, the details of his works stand out. Ravinder tells us about his approach to a painting, “It is never the same but often it starts with a particular colour on canvas and then I go with the flow and draw shapes that my mind tells me to. This time I have even showcased some miniature paintings and collages that comprise newspapers and magazine clipping and my paintings.”

The hard work of past year and this past month is evident in the intricate work and passion shown in each painting, collage or miniature. One cannot help but notice the white lines defining the miniatures and tearing impressions of black tape that makes for an arresting element.

Apart from this, Ravinder has also interpreted the term, patriotism. In one of the miniatures, he has captured the flag hoisting at Kargil. A large-size canvas displays the Mansa Devi temple in an abstrcat form.

A former professor of the Government College of Art, Ravinder who now runs an art academy in the city, also has displayed works of his students. He says, “Creativity and trust go together. I think parents and teachers should put enough trust in their children so as to trigger their creative mind.” He believes in giving creative freedom to a child as he adds, “I let my students work on what they wish to explore. As Picasso once said, ‘it took me four years to paint like a Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child’, their thought and expressions sometimes help me connect with my inner child.”

For the young artists, Ravinder’s piece of advice is, “There are lot of materials explored today by artists and manipulated to create a piece of art which is great. The only thing I feel is that every art should have relevance to humanity and must be based on human values to be called as an eternal piece of art. Also, one must understand that painting is about creating and leaving spaces.” He adds, “The spaces you dictate are always less important than the spaces you create while painting.”

His parting words, “I consider Shiva as the goodness of all religions. Painting Shiva helps me get rid of those egoistical traits of mine, which is why the title of the exhibition, Beyond Self.”

On till February 25 at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10

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