Art Attack: This Gurugram artist’s quest to conquer the calm in divine forms takes shape of canvases, artefacts
From finding solace in mandalas to painting God Hanuman, artist Anju Kumar's journey is all encompassing. Here's what she'll showcase in her new exhibition.
It’s not just in devotion when the hands are raised to pray, but also in submission to one’s creative calling. In unison with the brushes, canvas and colours that come to an artist’s imagination, it gives form and new dimensions to the divine. Whispering a prayer with her works is artist Anju Kumar, who is all set to open her new show, Ibadat.
“There are stages of evolution that an artist has,” shares the Gurugram-based potter. Her 37-year journey is rooted in clay with terracotta and mixed media works that often speak volumes about her artistic finesse. She recalls, “There was a time when I was only painting Ganesh ji, and then also Shiv ji. Then I found solace in creating mandalas. In today’s world, where there is so much strife and so many things pulling us apart, I discovered how mandalas provided calm, not just as an art, but also helped me in finding myself as I continued writing Ram naam (name chant) in these.”
But this January, Anju found her calling when she started painting Hanuman, for the first time, even after being an ardent follower of him since childhood. “All forms of Gods fascinate me, but something just resonated when I created the first Hanuman ji,” she muses, adding, “Following my intuition, I even added gold leafing in the background. Each time I started creating a Hanuman portrait, I became a conduit for the message from Him and as an artist, I felt it’s being passed through me to the viewers.”
On display this year will thus be a series on Hanuman, alongside a wide range of sculptures — from abstracts to human forms — that aim to add drama to interiors, and mixed media murals that are both monochromatic and textured. “Art is a celebration of life. Every detail matters, because God truly lies in the details,” she sums up.
Catch It Live
What: Ibadat
Where: Studio Anmol, C-55A, South City 1, Gurugram (9810033305)
When: September 26 to 30
Timing: 11am to 7pm
Entry: Free
Nearest Metro Station: Millennium City Centre Gurugram on the Yellow Line
