Uzma Firdous' - "Art for Heart's Sake"

Great art reflects the personality of the artist. Art has always been about inspiration, passion, and motivation. All of these keywords became palpable at Uzma Firdous' art exhibition of paintings. On one of my 'weekendly' art appreciation trips last Sunday, I dropped into Darda Art Gallery at Lokmat Square.  Uzma Firdous' - "Art for Heart's Sake", an exhibition of vibrant paintings, adorned walls of the gallery fascinatingly.

Uzma Firdous posing next to her art piece titled "The Passion"

As I walked along the string of paintings, I could see proofs of Uzma's imaginations grow creatively. At one diagonal of the plush art gallery, was a painting of a brightly lit chandelier and of one with a rather dark background at the exact opposite wall diagonally. Attention to detail was prominently visible in all of her pieces, and notably in "The Glories of Taj Mahal". Her artworks were received very well by visitors belonging to every age group, as was visible at a single glance. 

"The Glories of Taj Mahal" by Uzma Firdous

Tête-à-tête

I asked the Bhandara-born artist about all that goes behind this exhibition and I came to know about some intriguing facts. Firstly, Uzma is a self-taught artist. Secondly, Uzma had been aloof at the pursuit of painting since two decades! She admits the fact that after her marriage she put all her efforts in home making but has no repents whatsoever. This again proves that she is one of those artists whose zeal for the art far exceeds their limitations that arise from the lack of training and passage of time.

[See also : Alag Angle Nagpur Exhibition - "Alive 2017"]

Uzma enthusiastically reveals her monochromatic artwork "The Glories of Taj Mahal" as being her favorite. Although vehemently stating that all her artworks were like her children, she takes great pride in the one above due to all the hard-work she put into achieving the detailed look of it.

Uzma Firdous' art exhibition at Darda Art Gallery, Nagpur

Uzma Firdous' art exhibition at Darda Art Gallery, Nagpur

Uzma tries to put her emotions into her art. She considers the vibrant colours as the medium for transmission of those emotions. 

Every splash of paint and stroke of brush is a segment of a new story and it is upto the artist to bind these segments together to create the most beautiful and fascinating story.

 - Uzma

Her family has been instrumental in her success. Her husband, children, and mother, all supported her in this endeavor. This could be imagined from the fact that almost all of the 40 odd paintings on display were created within a span of one year. For someone taking a sabbatical from art pursuit for around two decades, the speed of gaining momentum seems phenomenal to me. Impossible without the support of family, Uzma stands for a magnanimous comeback :)

Intrigue is obvious.

Every pillar at the gallery was full with a plethora of artworks. On one such pillar was a painting depicting a struggling ship caught in the midst of a great storm in the middle of an ocean. Now, this wasn't the first ship painting that I ever saw, but the log line depicting the artwork resonated with me instantly. I remember too vaguely but it went something like this - "Do not allow the external conflict interfere with the inside of you. The moment external conflicts [the sea storm] disturb the inner state of your mind [the calmly sailing ship], your mind starts to sink [just like the ship]". That one became my favorite and I even requested Uzma to pose before it for a click.

Uzma posing alongside my favorite "Strength in Storm"

With this, my creative journey into Uzma's realism ended. I congratulated her for the exhibition's success and wished her best luck for future endeavours. In the coming days, I plan to visit more art exhibitions. I believe art is simple, but it broadens one's mind multi-fold. A broad mind is a powerhouse of creativity, which fuels artistic endeavours of every individual, like it did in the case of Uzma and many other 'do-ers'. Inspired, I leave the gallery to start another week with all positive energy.

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Alag Angle Nagpur : 'Alive 2017' - Heart to 'Seed paper' !

The atmosphere at the gallery was so cheerful. There was no music, no upbeat talk, but still a strong energy in the air. I felt 'lively' the moment I entered the newly opened Kalakunj Art Gallery opposite to Nagpur Gardens Club. No wonder the organisers had named the art exhibition as - 'Alive' 2017.

Yesterday I decided to visit the art exhibition put up by Alag angle art community in Nagpur. The main motivating factor for me was the use of ‘seed paper’ in creating the artworks. I was unheard of this ‘seed paper’ before the beautiful paintings mesmerized me yesterday. It is basically handmade paper which is embedded with plant seeds. This creative concept, as I was told by one of the artist present there, was brought into materiality by one of the members of the organization. They produced their own ‘seed papers’ and created art over it. Basically, the artwork becomes ‘never-dying’ as the painting if decomposed into soil, gives birth to a plant by virtue of the seeds embedded in it.

The very first sight after entering the exhibition.

I was told repeatedly that the wooden frames that they had used to encompass their artworks were also made by the artists themselves. Some time back, a wonderful activity called – “Maker’s Adda” had been conducted by Alag Angle organization. The aim then was to create artworks out of wood and in the process also learn about the various tools and techniques used to produce such artworks. Thus, they conceived the wooden frames. 

As I entered the realm created by artists, I was approached by the creators present themselves. They were very eager to know how I interpreted their artworks and to explain to me their ideology behind the creation. It was a pleasant surprise to witness the eloquence with which each individual artist put forward their idea behind the art. Artists so young !

Vaishnavi had created a very descriptive piece of artwork. The painting depicted her relationship with her friends and also at the same time showcased her architectural background. She elatedly told me how her friends were caught in shock when they saw themselves into Vaishnavi's art! This made their bond stronger. Makes me confirm to the fact that anything done for friends is never 'so much' :)

Vaishnavi with 'Friends & Infinity'.

Another artist showed her artwork displayed as one of the 'firsts' in the gallery. Showcasing the complexity of her life and aptly intertextualising with the game of chess. The position of King as the leader and the voids in context. The surreal looking painting was a eye-candy and an eye-opener simultaneously. It is interesting to watch how everybody had his/her own view over this piece. I am sure the response of audience must be very gratifying for the artist as well, who looked pleased to see the meanings they derived from the painting.

Bharti with her intriguing work of art.

Shrushti - 'Not your everyday artist'.

As I stroll the aisle, I came across another masterpiece, with its concieving artist promptly awaiting my attention. And boy she became my favorite there ! This young creator named Shrushti was very verbose with her wisdom behind art. I was impressed with the art as much as the way she explained it to me. Her piece unlike others, came with a 'depth' to it too. The wooden-framed piece with birds and sea waves was appropriately hung on a wooden door-frame. The void of sky gave a sense of infinity to the piece, says Shrushti. She even associated it with a mindblowing story of a certain bird. And then, I was spellbound by her imagination.

It was an amazing experience. Nagpur needs more such wonderful art galleries alongwith wonderful organizations like Alag Angle. Both these wings have the potential to arise artists far, far up! 

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