Priyanka's journey to Bordeaux

A Fine Arts graduate from JNAFAU, and post-graduate from Central University, Priyanka Aelay has earned a spot in the prestigious Bordeaux Art Residency in France. The daughter of eminent artist Laxman Aelay looks forward to embracing the opportunity with open arms. “Exposure to a new society, geography, terrain and philosophy enhances every artist’s understanding of oneself and others. I am very happy to be a part of this programme and equally enthusiastic about the transformative effect that it will have on my work. I have no preconceived notions about the kind of work I will pursue during the residency. I want to allow the dialogue to be initiated and take form in a very natural manner. The residency will culminate with a show wherein I will display all the work done by me during my six-week stay. I love to experiment and work with varied media, so I plan to include some new-media works, like a performance piece or a video installation.”

Going through Priyanka’s extensive body of work, you are struck by the manner in which she breaks the monotony of conventional forms and grants the visual allegory a novel stance. Her paintings amalgamate anecdotes and elements absorbed from flora and fauna in a stylistically-rendered space. She weaves myriad forms and interesting textures together into a seamless collage and there is an apparent undercurrent of surrealism in her diction that makes the terrain look other-worldly and celestial. Her works celebrate the effervescence and ethos of traditional Indian miniature paintings, and yet, she excels in granting to her works a strong contemporary strength. She works intricately and with a fresh colour palette that refrains from becoming loud or stark. Pastel tones and muted hues create a transcendental equilibrium and soothing harmony.