JOIN USIn a poem titled Song for Gulsoma, poet and author Usha Akella writes about an Afghani adolescent woman who is a victim of child abuse. “My throat filled with stones, tears too light to bear your story, I spit out words from a slingshot mouth-sly target unseen.
Gulsoma”, she writes. These words struck a chord with artist Lala Ramanand, who felt it narrated a story similar to what he has to express through his works which are currently on display in the city as part of his solo show titled, ‘Women and Landscape’.
Explaining the idea behind his evocative works, which highlight the various travails of women, the artist tells Metrolife that he has always been fascinated, intrigued and inspired by them. “Their stories move me. There are a lot of places where women face a lot of problems. They have no means of livelihood and lead an oppressed life. That is what I have tried to depict through my works,” he says.
True to his theme, the artist has depicted various issues, ranging from family drama in village households to situations in urban households, and says that his canvasses reflect his journey and the conversations he has with people.
“I work on ideas rather than on subjects. Woman is a vast subject, and much has been written and sketched about her. So, I do not approach my canvas with a fixed idea in
my mind. What you see as the end result is essentially my observations in colour,”
he explains.
Primarily done in shades of red, blue, yellow, black and white, Ramanand’s canvasses at first look come across as abstract art, but as you step closer, his subject (the woman) emerges from the mix of colours and takes centre stage. It is then that the viewers can clearly see the focal point of this work, which is highlighted with intricate detailing, even among the layers of colours surrounding it.
“I never wanted my subject to be a crude depiction, yet I wanted to highlight my observations. This series is a tribute to women,” he says. Women and Landscape is on display until February 29 at the Shridharani Art Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam,
Mandi House.