Art exhibition by Vibha Oke followed by an illustrative talk on migratory birds by Mr. Randhir Khare – photographs by Susan Bullough Khare.
“He who bends to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy
But he who catches joy as it flies
Lives to eternity’s sunrise.”
– William Blake
Birds have always been a source of delight – in flight, in their amazing courtship performances, their singing, their ingenuity and their impressive endurance.
Gyaan Adab opened an exhibition, ‘Winged Rainbows’ featuring the inspirational art of Vibha Oke which expresses the lively and vigorous movement of birds and the reflective spirit of her creative self, on Saturday, March 29. In acrylic on canvas, these works impress by their deft and exuberant use of colour and treatment of form.
‘Birds inspire me with their colours, spirit of freedom and non-stop movement filled with energy and life,’ says Vibha who is able to dramatically transform avian inspiration into engaging and aesthetic images on canvas, without losing the essential spirit of their naturalness. She endows each work with a singular character, thus enhancing both its appeal as well as its intrinsic value.
The other subjects and themes that also appear in this exhibition have been born from various states of mind and feeling that she has found herself in, and expressed through intense and focused perspectives. “The painting of the couple with a baby and a cat resulted after my daughter delivered a baby. On the other hand the mrudanga painting was created at the time of Palakhi when devotion was in the atmosphere,” she says.
This reflects her involvement in her art which she says she is compelled to practice out of a sense of commitment to her skills. “I feel it’s my duty to paint by expressing my mind on canvas because I have the ability to do so. This surge of commitment and feeling lulls into a great sense of fulfillment when the work is complete – just like the experience of after- birth.”
The opening of the art exhibition came alive with an illustrated talk by poet and artist Randhir Khare, ‘The Joy of Feathers’, celebrating the beauty and liveliness of our avian friends, neighbours and long distance visitors. The talk was brought alive by exquisite digital images taken by Susan Bullough Khare of resident and migratory birds which were a blend of personal encounters with extraordinary birds and interesting information about the birds we live with in this city.
