Romancing the canvas

Painting emotions

The racing lines, graphics and geometric shapes of her paintings can put one in a spiritual trance. The artworks of Tina Prabhu, a City-based visual artist, are detailed and intricate, and most of her paintings juxtapose mechanical and futuristic elements with tribal and rustic ones. 

Art, according to her, is “a portrayal of one’s emotions and feelings through paint, oil and brush”. People express their thoughts, ideas and expressions in various ways, and Tina does it best by spilling some paint on a canvas. She explains, “Whatever frame of mind I’m in, I always go back to painting. I concentrate on the work I am doing as I know that I am contributing something to my growth, my family, and to the society perhaps. Painting is a pleasure, it is like meditation.”

Born and brought up in a family of accomplished artists, Tina has no formal training in either painting or handicrafts. She grasped these talents in her late teens when she developed a desire to express herself. She says, “It’s been almost 40 years since I first started painting. Whatever I have learnt till date is all self-taught, I never had any formal training. I was 16 or 17 when I started painting and I took it seriously only when I was in my 20s.” She adds, “In fact, I completed my textile designing in Maharashtra, but unfortunately, I have not taken it up as a career. I got married and had the responsibility of looking after my children. With this, it seemed impossible to do anything else. But now that my children have settled down I have started painting all over again and I’m doing what I love. Art has always been with me, filling up my quiet moments.”

Her first solo exhibition, she says, “Was at Abstract Art Gallery eight years back and now I am planning another exhibition as I am getting back to painting again.” Her works mostly concentrate on elements of nature, tradition, social empowerment, abstract futurism, and spirituality.

     For her upcoming exhibition, she has painted birds. Explaining the collection, she says, “These birds are from my own imagination. And with this series, I am targeting the young population, especially the corporates who are so stressed out all the time. I want them to see this series and relax and laugh. The birds I am working on are all happy birds, some of them are playing, others dancing and balancing cups and saucers on their heads.”

Apart from her fine acrylic and oil paintings, this talented lady has a fine hand for crafts too — glass bowl and lamp paintings, papier mache and handcrafted jewelleries, to name a few. She says, “I mostly make paper jewellery, papier mache and love bottle painting. I also reuse discarded boxes for my craftwork. I began surfing the internet to learn more about crafting paper jewellery and papier mache boxes, thereafter I started creating my own designs. It is absolutely fascinating to learn these techniques.” She adds, “Though handicraft is a new found interest, my love will always be painting.”

For more details, contact Tina Prabhu on [e-mail].