Hyderabad, 22nd June, 2019: Kalakriti Art Gallery presents ‘Ashwatha - The Sacred Tree’ by Sarla Chandra. Trees are one of the earth’s oldest life forms; silent witnesses to the passing of time. Through ages, ancient people have bestowed veneration on Trees making them a sacred and integral part of their life on earth.
To the Egyptians, the tree of life was symbolic of the process of creation -a chain of events that brought everything into existence. To the Mayans, the tree was a locus point joining the heavens, earth and the underworld. In Christianity, the tree of life planted in the Garden of Eden bore fruit that granted immortality. In Hinduism, the Atharva Veda speaks of the “Ashwatha” tree as the home of the Gods. And Lord Buddha himself chose the Peepal tree to meditate under and attain enlightenment.
The Tree of Life represents many qualities like wisdom, strength, protection, beauty, bounty, redemption and growth, however, the interpretation perceived by different faiths and cultures remains the same; that the Tree of Life resonates singularly with the concept of ‘interconnectedness’.
Sarla Chandra’s art draws inspiration from the Sacred and the Eternal. The striking symbolism in her signature Tree of Life, her divine golden-winged birds and the incandescent Goliath stones - all implore you to seek meaning beyond their physical form.
Metaphysical concepts like cosmic energy, evolution, time and duality, loom large over her canvas, awakening the viewer to an inner world and drawing them into an inward journey of spirituality.
In her series Ashwatha-The Sacred Tree, the artist explores the interaction of ‘Purush and Prakriti’ - man and nature, through themes of religion & philosophy. She creatively uses the ancient art of ‘Varakh’ (wafer thin sheets of gold and silver foil) to bring a unique luminous quality to her art.
Sarla Chandra’s Tree of Life series symbolizes that all forms of life and that all elements in this universe - earth, water, air, fire and space are interconnected with an invisible Golden thread of cosmic energy.
A simple yet strong reminder that our existence is intricately linked with others and that, we as humans should live in harmony with the rest of the universe.
It got-off to a great start at Kalakriti Art Gallery, Road No 10, Banjara Hills here on Saturday. Socialites like Indira Subbarami Reddy, Vanish Talwar, Abhay Jain, Sachin Baslas, Ashish Pittie, Narendra Luthar(Rtd IAS) and artistes from the fraternity appreciated the efforts of Sarla Chandra. A week days exhibition open till June 28, 2019.
About Sarla Chandra
A thinking bold and experimental artist, Sarla Chandra’s tryst with art and Indian culture has spanned over forty years. With more than 50 solo exhibitions and 40 group shows to her credit, her signature paintings are treasured by connoisseurs of art all over the world.
Born in 1943, Sarla is a post graduate in science from the prestigious St. John’s College, Agra. However subjects that have always fascinated her like Indian philosophy, mythology and the scriptures – have slowly manifested themselves onto her canvas.
She has experimented with a variety of mediums – oils, acrylics, watercolor’s, etching, lithographs, but her unique use of ‘Bhojpatra’-parchment, ‘Repousse’-metal embossing and ‘Varakh’-gold and silver foil, are unorthodox techniques that recreate the aura of our ancient cultural heritage.
Painting for Sarla is not merely a profession but a form of meditation; a compulsive inner urge for expression and exploration of the capabilities of the mind. Her brush generates energy, drawing inspirations from all faces of nature, and traditions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism and Christianity.
Rightly hailed as one of the most intellectual artists in India today, her art allows each admirer to take home their own interpretation. Her works are never static. Each of her paintings pulsates with ‘Prana’ creating a spiritual experience for the viewer.
This fusion of spirituality and artistic creativity is not only very powerful and brilliant, but has contributed significantly in promoting the essence of Indian culture to the present generation.
