Analysis / Dr Ved Prakash Bhardwaj
Sarla Chandra
Born in 1943, Sarla Chandra’s engagement with art and Indian culture spans over six decades. With more than 50 solo exhibitions and 40 group shows to her credit, she has established a significant presence in the art world. She holds a postgraduate degree in Natural Sciences, specializing in Entomology, from the prestigious St. John’s College, Agra.
For her, painting is not merely a profession but a form of meditation—a deeply personal expression rooted in her fascination with ancient Indian scripts and texts such as the Vedas and Upanishads. Over the years, she has explored a wide range of traditional as well as contemporary mediums, continually evolving her artistic language.
In the landscape of contemporary Indian art, Sarla
Chandra emerges as a distinctive creative force whose long and sustained
practice has not only shaped a unique visual language but has also meaningfully
re-engaged Indian philosophical and spiritual traditions within a modern
artistic framework. Her latest solo exhibition, inaugurated on March 20, 2026,
at Studio Taruvar in New Delhi, stands as a mature and multifaceted testament
to this enduring artistic journey.
The works in the exhibition are organised into
three thematic categories—Syzygy (Yuti-Viyuti/Alignment), Brihad
Aranyaka, and Prithvi Sukta. These are not merely curatorial
divisions but deeply evocative references to India’s intellectual and spiritual
heritage. Brihad Aranyaka gestures toward the profound philosophical
enquiries of the Upanishads, while Prithvi Sukta recalls the Vedic
reverence for the Earth. The concept of Yuti-Viyuti, or alignment, provides a visual representation of philosophical enquiries regarding existence, relationships, and equilibrium. In
this sense, Sarla Chandra’s art transcends the visual to become a medium of
intellectual and spiritual dialogue.
A defining feature of her work is its distinctive
combination of narrativity and abstraction. Rather than presenting static
compositions, she constructs subtle narratives through symbols, forms, colours, and echoes from ancient script traditions. These narratives are seldom
explicit; instead, they unfold gradually, inviting viewers to engage in an
active process of interpretation. In this way, her practice resonates with
classical Indian aesthetic traditions, where art extends beyond visual pleasure
to evoke rasa—a profound emotional and experiential response.
Although her imagery frequently draws upon
mythological and spiritual themes, it would be reductive to confine her work
within this framework alone. Nature—especially the motif of the tree—occupies a
central place in her visual vocabulary. The cultural and philosophical
significance of Ashvattha, or the "tree of life," finds renewed
expression in her paintings. Nevertheless, this expression is not a simple reiteration of
tradition; it is also a contemporary intervention, engaging with present-day
concerns such as ecological awareness. Her art thus becomes a bridge between the past and present, tradition and modernity.
Technically, Sarla Chandra’s work is equally
compelling. Her use of gold and silver leaf (varak), repoussé techniques
on copper, and her experimentation with diverse materials distinguish her
practice. These are not merely decorative choices but deliberate acts of
cultural recall. By reviving ancient techniques and recontextualising them
within a contemporary idiom, she does not replicate tradition but reinterprets
it.
Her journey as a self-trained artist adds another
layer of significance to her work. With an academic background in science
(entomology), she turned to art as a means of expression, meditation, and
self-exploration. The palpable sense of prana—life energy—that animates her works reflects this deeply personal engagement. Importantly, her
spirituality does not manifest as doctrinal or sectarian; rather, it resonates
as a universal consciousness drawing from Buddhist, Hindu, Sufi, and Christian
traditions alike.
From a critical standpoint, however, one might
question whether her reliance on symbolic and spiritual frameworks occasionally
renders her work overly esoteric. Does this complexity create a certain
distance for the general viewer? This concern is valid, particularly in the
context of contemporary art’s emphasis on accessibility and broader engagement.
Nevertheless, it is equally true that Chandra’s art resists instant consumption; it
demands time, contemplation, and a willingness to engage deeply.
Ultimately, this exhibition represents a
significant moment in Sarla Chandra’s artistic trajectory—one where tradition,
spirituality, nature, and contemporary sensibility converge. Her work reminds
us that visual art is not merely an arrangement of form and colour but a
profound expansion of thought, experience, and consciousness. This, perhaps, is
the most enduring strength of her creative practice.
No comments:
Post a Comment