77th sponsored show by Gallery Artchill - Recent Paintings by LALIT SHARMA

Gallery Artchill takes great pleasure to Opening of its 77th sponsored show 

Recent paintings by Lalit Sharma
OPENING - 10 am , on 6th Jan, Gallery Artchill at Amber fort.

Show is on view at : 
Gallery Artchill, Amber Fort from 6th - 12th Jan 2011
Artchill corridor at Le Meridien Jaipur from 15th - 21st Jan 2012
Juneja Art Gallery from  23rd -29th Jan 2012

Works of an Inner Tranquility

Lalit Sharma constructs the images of a city – which seem real, as well as imaginary, and this city in its dreamlike situation, offers a whole range of colors spread out in architectural units – of terraces, roof tops, windows, doors, domes etc. in a delightful manner. With these colorful architectural units, one also locates water-bodies , gardens and hills under a clear sky and is enchanted to the core, as the array of colors –reds, greens, purples, blues, yellows etc. in

their totality and variation, become poetic and wondrous. There is a certain dexterity in delineation of forms, and the smooth, texture less, ‘flat’ application of the color, makes the pictorial space more light and subliminal (giving a sense of lightness of being). Leading to an effect, wherein the festivity of ‘kite flying’ seems to take the city itself in a flight. An ethereal joyous ‘mood’ pervades in all these paintings done in oils. There is also a suggestion of thought

process, which seems to be percolating all over the place, to absorb and ascertain, the ‘happenings’ then and there, giving the works a meditative quality, as well. The role of cool and warm colours, placed almost side by side, creates yet another ingratiating, peaceful and calm effect.

One is of course reminded of miniature paintings of Rajsthani schools and Mewar style in particular, as the use of red and green, is dense and intense in certain forms, and the white seems to pave and ‘clear’ the way, for other colors to breathe and exist, in a harmonious manner. This seems to be natural, as Lalit belongs to Udaipur, and a family of artists, who have painted through generations in the very format and essence of miniature paintings, and who have made, as a choice, their surroundings the theme and centre of their works. The only noteworthy difference is that Lalit is working under a sensibility, which is very much related to modernistic approaches, in terms of ‘realising’ and re-creating traditional modes and methods and thus enhancing a ‘personal context’. The city of Lalit Sharma offers a

wide range of angles to perceive it: one may perceive it from the ‘viewing point’ of an architectural height, perceive it from front, and from the right and left corners. There is an uplifting quality in the paintings: each and every area seems to have been ‘built’ with care and love. One knows that the human habitats are no more so serene, and free of pollution; yet to dream of an ideal city, is no escape but a realization of one’s aesthetic, and sublime values.

Lalit does this by creating potent images of manmade structures, and the elements of nature. The flying kites, remind us once more, that there are moments to be realized, which are both earthy as well as ethereal. Thus the viewing of these evocative works is bound to give us, moments of a certain inner tranquility.

Prayag Shukla
New Delhi