The walls at the State Gallery of Art come alive with 120 paintings by Sireesha Srinivas. Titled Reminiscences (Kashmir on Canvas), the ongoing art exhibition highlights the brighter side of the land that’s been embroiled for ages in negative news.
The artist effectively captures landscapes on canvas as she dabbles with colours in oil and acrylic in all her displayed paintings. One of the frames on the wall, for instance, shows beautiful snow-capped mountains, chirping birds and gardens full of flowers and fruits, where villagers work.
Born in Khammam and brought up in Vijayawada, Sireesha moved to Kashmir after completing her Master’s degree before marrying Dr Srinivas, an IPS officer belonging to Hyderabad and working as Addl. DG (Intelligence) in Jammu and Kashmir Cadre. Having spent more than two decades in Kashmir Valley, she has been witness to the tumultuous changes that Kashmir has passed through all these years. Her husband’s postings even enabled her to stay in most of the beautiful places in the region, from Kargil to Kupwara.
The artist captures the daily life of people in Kashmir with ease
Her love for Kashmir on a palette
Sireesha put up her first solo exhibition in the Hungarian International Cultural Centre in New Delhi in March 2017. Since then, she’s participated in a dozen art exhibitions across the country, including Jaipur, Jammu, Amritsar and Goa. More than 25 pieces of Sireesha’s artworks have found a place of pride in IFFCO, New Delhi; Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport, Srinagar; Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre, Srinagar; and a few corporate houses in Hyderabad and New Delhi.
Few of her paintings on display
Talking about what made her come up with this exhibition in particular, the self-taught artist says, “I was interested in art since childhood but never took up any formal training. Also, I’ve been in Kashmir since 1996 and I took up art after being inspired by the surroundings in the region. I’ve seen not only the beauty of the place but also how the valley has changed and soldiers martyred. And as an amateur artist, this exhibition is my tribute to the place — my second home-and its people.”
Sireesha adds that the proceedings from the sale of the artworks will be given to families of the martyrs of J&K Police and to the martyrs of Telangana Police. “Most times, I’ve seen how the families of the martyred struggle to survive, and what I am doing here is my little bit for them,” she says as she signs out.
