Over the last five years, contemporary Indian artist Srishti Rana Menon has transitioned from a textile based practice to that of a painter, drawing upon international influences to create a body of abstract works using acrylics, oils and watercolours. Srishti will present her first solo exhibition Sublime Revelations in New Delhi from 10 – 14 May 2017, at the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre with a press view on 10 May 6 – 9pm.
The ethereal, layered quality of Srishti’s paintings abandon recognisable imagery and narrative, focusing instead on a highly intuitive process that unravels on the canvas to produce her own stories in abstraction. Drawing inspiration from post-war American abstract expressionists such as Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, Mark Rothko and Cy Twombly, Srishti focusses her technique largely on exploration, allowing the various paint mediums to form organically on the canvas, with minimal intervention.
Srishti Rana Menon comments: “As a child I loved to paint and in recent years it is the medium through which I have learnt to connect with myself. I have always been moved by the power of colour, initially through my extensive work with textiles and more latterly through my exploration of colour on canvas. My artistic process and experimentation with colour and technique is filtered through a meditative state which is reflected in my canvases.”
The forthcoming exhibition at the Visual Arts Gallery will showcase a series of works created by Srishti over the past five years.
Richard Alford, Secretary, Charles Wallace India Trust comments: “I first saw Srishti’s work more than a decade ago when, as a Charles Wallace India Trust scholar, she studied at Winchester College of Art. Strong colours were her trademark and her paintings – mostly figurative – had a lively and appealing directness. Her style has matured over the years as her talent has developed. Her work poses more questions now. It is more equivocal, the colours are as confident but subtler. Their combinations make the viewer pause and reflect.”
About the Artist
Srishti began her practice in India, graduating from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad in 2002. She later went on to study for a masters at the renowned Winchester School of Art in the UK. As well as being granted a Charles Wallace India Trust Award by the British Council, Srishti was also awarded a residency at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Switzerland by Pro Helvetia. During her time in the UK, Srishti visited many major galleries where she viewed works by artists, who later proved highly influential to her practice.