JOIN USArtist Pooja Ratnakar says her “exhibition itself is her purpose”. As the name of the exhibition suggests ‘In Quest for Truth’, Ratnakar has shown her transition in real life on the canvas.
Talking to Metrolife, Ratnakar, said, “I was never a painter or an artist. Although I have been in the craft sector but I have never painted. So, last year while on a holiday in London, I suddenly felt this urge to paint. And that is how my new journey as a painter began.”
Describing herself as a nature-lover, the exhibition by Ratnakar is a beautiful collection of water colours on birds and naturescapes that offer a calming hiatus from city life.
There is a quality of stillness and a sense of calm in her artworks. She believes that unless the mind is still, it cannot find peace. Her paintings are minimalistic, so her birds are suspended in mid-air. Her seascapes are also calm and uncluttered. The stillness of water seems to wash away all the chaos of the perceived world.
“The title of the show ‘In Quest for Truth’ is actually the purpose of my life, wherein, I want to eliminate all those things which are unimportant and finally reach for the truth. My paintings mostly have white backgrounds, which signifies the calmness in me too. And I love to paint the nature because I find peace in that. So, right now I am enjoying this new-found love and would like to continue making great paintings. But, only till I enjoy doing it,” added Ratnakar.
Best known for her unusual Potli craft kits that have introduced many young children to Indian handicraft, Ratnakar is no stranger to the world of art. The co-founder of Potli and the Kolkata-based NGO, Kadam, which works towards capacity building of indigenous craft skills in villages, she has worked extensively in the craft sector for nearly two decades.
The ongoing art exhibition ‘In Quest for Truth’ is at Café Turtle, N Block, GK 1 till August 31 from 10.30 am and 8 pm.