Over 40 artworks are on display at a new art exhibition ‘Thuriga The 4th Collective Exhibit 2024’ that opens in Hyderabad this weekend. ‘Thuriga’, which means ‘paintbrush’ in Tamil, features works by five Chennai-based artists – Charanya Rajesh, Gayathri Balaji, Sathya N Prabhu, Yamuna Bala and Subhashree Sridhar – on display for the first time in Hyderabad.
The women as a team have previously done shows at Artworld Sarala’s Art Centre and Taj Vivanta in Chennai and Auroville in Pondicherry. The Hyderabad exhibition is their ‘fourth exhibition’.
Celebrating womanhood
Charanya Rajesh | Photo Credit: Special Arrangements
Inspired by realism, Charanya Rajesh loves to create portraits and figurative paintings. Her nine works in oil pastels celebrate womanhood and highlight the bond of women with nature, flora and fauna in the Indian cultural context. She says, “I love to portray various aspects of womanhood through art – their courage, kindness, inner strength and beauty.”
The artist has also paid tribute to his hometown Madurai, depicting a Tamil woman wearing a traditional sari with a parrot. Charanaya has called the woman Meenakshi, a form of Goddess Parvati, and explains, “The woman loves and yearns for Lord Shiva.”
Inspired by idols
Work by Gayatri Balaji | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Gayatri Balaji’s artworks done in acrylic and mixed media tell stories of the wonders of Indian temple architecture. About choosing sculptures in temples as the subject of her paintings, she says, “I have always been fascinated by sculptures, especially the magnificent Belur sculptures; one wonders how these stone sculptures must have been created so many centuries ago without any modern sculpting tools and equipment.” The artist has recreated the effect of stone with textures in ‘Swapna Sundari’ to depict the beauty of a woman who is shyly looking at the mirror.
Gayatri Balaji Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Passionate about art, she tries different mediums and plays with colours to explore the art landscape. When she is not painting, she travels and takes photographs as reference for her paintings.
Old-world charm
Work by Sathya N Prabhu | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Influenced by the rich traditions of Tamil Nadu, artist Satya N Prabhu blends contemporary and traditional styles in his eight acrylic paintings. Adept at handling various mediums and printmaking, the artist captures the essence of Indian culture and epics.
Sathya N Prabhu | Photo credit: special arrangement
Satya draws inspiration from her childhood and her works focus on how ancient temples served as focal points of economic activity, creating employment opportunities for artisans such as potters, weavers, garland makers, dancers and musicians who participated in temple rituals, ceremonies and festivals. “My paintings depict events from old times, which I sometimes don’t get to see anymore,” she says.
Art as expression
A work by Yamuna Bala | Photo courtesy: Special arrangement
Yamuna Bala, who has a background in psychology, paints paintings that relate to a person’s inner journey. “Art has been a way of expression. When life puts me in complex situations, I use art to express myself. Things that I could not express as a woman are expressed through art.”
Yamuna Bala | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Inspired by life and experiences, Yamuna says, “Whatever reaches deep into my thoughts and affects my heart is depicted in my paintings. Her recent work, Kadhai Kadhaiyungal, is an emotional work done after the death of her father in 2023. She says that the paintings are an attempt to hand over the legacy to the next generation. “My father was a wonderful storyteller who transported me to another world with his narration. The stories enriched my vocabulary and inspired my imagination. I began to look at life from a different perspective and also respected the point of view of others.” Apart from painting, Tamuna has also done a professional pottery course, and has some experience in sculpting as well.
In praise of simplicity
Subhashree Sridhar | Photo credit: Special arrangement
“My work is inspired by travel experiences and inspired by the culture and lifestyle I have experienced,” says Subhashree Sridhar, who has eight oil paintings on display at the show. An artist, graphic designer and illustrator, she is pursuing a master’s degree in illustration at Falmouth University in England. Subhashree is inspired by the colourful temple Gopuramits intricate architecture and the simplicity of the street scenes which he observed during temple visits and explorations of the city.
Subhashree Sridhar | Photo credit: Special arrangement
“These paintings document my perception and reflections about these heritage symbols and structures in a representative manner.” Apart from painting, he is also passionate about digital book illustration, linoprinting and creating collages for his sketchbook works.
Thoriga Fourth Group Show 2024 will be held at State Art Gallery, Kavuri Hills from August 9 to 14 from 11 am to 7 pm.
