Beauty in the ordinary and Vandana Krishna's 'Flight of Fantasy'....
It had been a long day with a visit to the doctor, a workshop on socio-economic paradigms in urban development, brainstorming over economic empowerment of women, talking about elimination of violence against women to employees of Federal Bank.
As I stepped out of office at about 6.30 pm, I could see Mantralay, the stately headquarters of Government of Maharashtra standing tall against the dusky sky.
I walked down the steps of the new administrative building and headed to take another Flight of Fantasy, at the solo exhibition of paintings by Vandana Krishna.
Most people would know her as a senior bureaucrat in the Maharashtra cadre of the Indian Administrative Service. Some may even know that she is melodious singer but most wouldn't know that she is an amazing artist.
I too wouldn't have known had I not got this opportunity to visit her solo exhibition of paintings at Hall no.4, of the renowned Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai.
Of whatever little I understand in art there were times when frequenting art galleries was therapeutic however pressures of work and family and distance to the city doused that fire.
As I stepped into the gallery that familiar flicker was rekindled. It got converted into a flame as I went through the beautiful paintings made by Ms. Vandana Krishna. By the time I saw all the paintings it was a raging fire of emotions.
For this was no routine Flight of Fantasy, the paintings were sublime art each depicting a different mood and embellished with sensitivity.
It was as if her 'Boats on the Ganges' took me on a ride 'Towards the Light'.
As I took 'The Leap' to 'Reach for the Stars' I found that she was 'Fearless' in expressing her emotions. In fact she left us 'Floating Free' to experience the 'Stillness' and the 'Storm' or 'Fly with the wind'. So you could be on 'Evening Stroll' or taking the 'Stride' getting wet in a 'Drizzle' or 'Flying Free'. One could feel mushy 'Head over Heels' with the 'Pinks' drenched in 'Forest Mist' lost in your 'Dreams' only to be awakened maybe at ' 3 a.m '.
And then her paintings make you sit up and experience another world where the desire for our perfect, ' Elevation' are bashfully inconsiderate about that man sitting on the ledge at the cost of his life. Many evenings of our helpers are lost in 'The Dusk' as they light up our lives.
And we are left to ponder, do the 'Urban Heights' of our 'Maximum City' really 'Mirror' their lives?
There is so much more to find among her paintings. So walk into the ' Sunset', take 'The Leap' or ' 'Plunge' and 'Deep Dive' you will only ' Reach for the Stars'...
P.S. The exhibition is on till 27th November 2022 , 11 am to 7 p.m at Jehangir Art Gallery, Exhibition Hall no.4, Kala Ghoda. Also Vandana Krishna's Permanent Collection can be seen at 'Si Bambai' Kala Ghoda.
The words in ' apostrophe' are titles of her paintings....
