Vibrance in each stroke

“The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.” 
— Pablo Picasso

Vidya Raj’s recently concluded art show at Chitrakala Parishath is a testament to the grit and passion of this lady who, despite her age is living it big as any artist, and living it youthfully through art. Her show was not just an eye-opener to many but it is what legends are made of. 

Her passion for art without doubt is exceptional. Magnificent landscapes, created with an exceptional technique of water colours, contoured rocks and serene depictions of lotuses all make for a breath-taking experience for art lovers. 

Born and brought up in Madhya Pradesh, amidst forests and serene landscapes, VIdya’s love for nature and art began quite early. For Vidya, who proudly likes to be called ‘the insanely passionate artist, art seems to have come naturally. Nature has always been an inspiration for artists and even more so for BN Vidya, as she was brought up in the lush green  forests of Madhya Pradesh. 

Painting for her, is more like delving into deep meditation. She has always been passionate about creating paintings on nature in water colours but realised that acrylics also lent itself to some subjects, hence she started enjoying the latter medium as well. Driven by the subject and composition, she effortlessly paints on various other media like soft pastels, oil pastels, ink and pen. 

Some of the most stellar works in the show were the painting with Dias, lamps, well-lit, depicting the simplicity of a traditional Indian home during Deepawali which is the festival of light. Other paintings have hues of yellows, orchres and lush greens, predominantly in watercolours. Her wash technique is very impressive for someone who has been self-taught. Artists like Gurudas Shenoy visited her show, and have praised her. Vidya says, “My show was well-received by all corners of the art fraternity, and as a passionate artist, I was completely overwhelmed and humbled by the heartfelt appreciation and recognition showered on me by artists like Gurudas Shenoy and Yashwanth Hibare. It was also very satisfying to see art lovers from all walks of life, sauntering in and expressing their appreciation of the level of realism coming out from all the paintings.” 

Vidya credits her success to her husband who has been supporting towards her art, and being a photographer helped her in choosing the works. Vidya moves towards her goal of becoming an artist to be reckoned with this  show that concluded on Sunday at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.

The writer is an art  expert and curator.