‘The Opening Show of the Novice’ by Astha Mittal
New Delhi: Famous British artist Tracey Emin had once said: “I’m a terrible cook, but if I could cook, I would see that as art as well, as it is all about how much creative energy you put into something.”
Though this artist unlike Tracey is wonderful at what she does in her kitchen, she has also observed her surroundings, and has used her experience to portray the way women are seen in society today.
Astha Mittal feels translating her thoughts into an expression on canvas has been the most exhilarating experience of her life for the past four years. I have been self motivated to put down my thoughts onto my canvas to give a picture to them.
This versatile genius who is an engineering graduate with an advertising degree, a Mass Communicates post-graduate, a great cook, a travel addict and an art aficionado is displaying her works – based on the portrayal of woman in today’s society – from 19 to 24 July at the Experimental Gallery of the India Habitat Centre in Lodhi Road from 10.00 am to 7:00 pm. For a person so versatile, the show is interestingly titled ‘The Opening Show of the Novice’.
The medium for these works is a mix of acrylic and oil on wood of figurative abstracts. The theme for these works is the woman of today and her relationship with society and traditions. This art is dedicated to all those women who are forgetting their true self, burdened by the torch bearing responsibility of doing the right things for the family, the society and not being allowed to explore their own life in its varied dimensions.
Speaking about her forthcoming exhibition, Ashta says: “Painting is a strong medium and I have tried learning it on my own over the years. In this particular body of work, I have wished to showcase an essence of ‘her’ which is never spoken of or lost in oblivion because of social customs and practices.”
She laments that the right of a woman to express her rational opinion is always taken away from her irrespective of how educated she is. “My work is simple, as my heart goes to the women who suffer each day and still stay quiet.”
Even as she laboured in the kitchen at Olive Mehrauli learning the nuances of running a professional kitchen and also travelling to gorgeous local cuisines all over the country, her thoughts and expressions on her canvas wondered on to different themes relating to the state of women around her.
A strong individualist, Astha says: “I am highly miffed by the current situation of women in our society, especially on the subject of marriage. It is the woman who is always questioned about her traditions, customs and the so-called societal obligations. Even being an educated, well travelled, exposed to different cultures one is tied down to follow our customary nonsensical traditions, apparently only meant for women. My art depicts that apathy of a woman and how she fights for her freedom of thoughts, beliefs each day.”
But art had moved her even as a child because it gave her the freedom and liberty paid her thoughts, and made her feel real through “the smell of the paint, the ability to create, the carefree liberty it gives me when I work on my canvas.”
She loves art in any form: watching it, staring at it, letting it talk to her and taking her to its creator’s imagination and beliefs.
Being educated in Delhi and Pune, Astha has also excelled in sports – lawn tennis – and also talks how much she loves to write. She travels frequently to see, eat and see more!
Speaking about the future, she says she now plans “to move from figurative abstract (as displayed in her present work) to abstract in her next showcasing as She loves the idea of trying to let the viewer guess what they are looking at than to provide it right there (in its true form)on the canvas.
She also talks about how she would like to depict man-woman relationship in its various forms and also coffee as a theme of her next works.
The main inspiration behind these works is my mother who is an epitome of patience, love and perseverance. She says how she wishes to be such a giving, big hearted, selfless human being like her mother.
Opening:
Day/Date: Saturday, 19th July 2014, Time: 5:30 PM
Venue: Experimental Gallery, India Habitat Centre
Lodhi Road, New Delhi
The Exhibition is on till the 24th July 2014
Timings: 10 AM – 7 PM
For further information please contact:
BANG on Target PR & Media Solutions
Ankit Nagpal -Mob: 9810542096
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