Voices from the heart

A critic in the US once reviewed Hyderabad-born artist Sangeeta Reddy’s work remarking that ‘hot pink is the new navy blue.’ The artist’s fascination with color is summed up when she shares that on turning 13 and learning to sew, the first thing she did was to drop into Khadi Bhandar, buy bright fabric and make her own clothes.

The 68-year-old artist says, “I was always inspired by colors. When I was young, I was fascinated by the women who swept the streets (in Khairtabad and Punjagutta) who wore bright sarees amid all the dust and trash they swept up. I used to buy similar sarees and wear them to college in Bombay and remember everyone being entranced by them! When I moved to Midwest America, I missed the purity and saturation of color!”

It is this intrinsic relationship with color that is evident in the artist’s work. Her latest show, Chroma Scapes: Abstract Realms and Enigmatic Scripts, on view at the Kadari art gallery till January 14, showcases her easy and relaxed relationship with color. With 50 odd works of the artist, one can see the entire kaleidoscope of her oeuvre which can be broadly divided into two categories. One, her series on rocks, born of her love of the iconic boulders of her janma bhoomi, Hyderabad, are realized at her karma bhoomi, Colorado. Two, her love for the abstract, which are showcased in a series that are full of joie de verve from layers to pieces of scrap and which uses deconstructed text as an extension of her art. Asked how she manages to straddle two diverse styles, she smiles, “There is so much to explore and so many conversations that I need to have. I cannot ever do just one thing. There is no path I want left unexplored, hence the fluidity and shifts in my work.”

AN ODE TO CREATIVITY

The art works on display showcase the virtuosity of the artist. Some canvasses are brimming with colors and are arresting due to the multitude of elements embedded in them, from calligraphy to multiple layers of color and reconstructed Devanagari details.

Sangeeta who grew up in Hyderabad moved to the US in 1978. She has had a deep and symbiotic relationship with Hyderabad’s rocks (there was nothing but boulders beyond Banjara back then, she exclaims) and is saddened at their wanton destruction. “I connect with rocks and nature instantly. If you notice the colors and patterns in my paintings that capture the rocks, you see the beauty and power of nature. These are millions of years of geology at work, so I wanted to ensure that that dynamic lives on in my work,” she states. The artist is excited to showcase her work in Hyderabad. At several points throughout her 36-year-old art career she felt discouraged, feeling that no one in Hyderabad, or Indian art scene really understood her work (while being celebrated in the US). But when she met Supraja Rao of Kadari gallery, things changed. “She really understands my work in its entire scope, which as an artist is really important,” she shares, adding, “While this show is not a retrospective, it covers the breadth of my work and I hope that the work resonates with the people.”
Subtle, yet impactful, Sangeeta Reddy’s creations showcase her journey as an artist who is keenly influenced by her surroundings and her effort to influence those around her to think out of the box with her art!

I connect with rocks and nature instantly. If you notice the colors and patterns in my paintings that capture the rocks, you see the beauty and power of nature. These are millions of years of geology at work, so I wanted to ensure that that dynamic lives on in my work’

Note: The art show is on view at the Kadari art gallery till January 14