Flow of nature

Hyderabad-based artist Dr Avani Rao Gandra will be showcasing paintings and art installations titled 'Flow-Energy, Essence, Ecstasy of Nature' at ICONART Gallery, Hyderabad.

It is all about the nature one sees in myriad colours and hues that form our internal energies, as the narrative of life around and within us.

About her work Avani, says, "To get into the abstract flow of the present series of art works, the various aspects of nature and environment - the ecstasy and joy in its presence , exhilaration at its beauty and aesthetics, as well my understanding of essence of the nature as a life source, the aspects which are outside as well as within us, as the play of five elements of fire, water, air, ether and earth."

The 50-years-old artist says it was challenging for her to mix both beauty and the man's irreverence towards nature and environment.

She says, "It would be living in illusion had I not attempted to incorporate human abuse of nature, massive exploitation of environment, trails of carbon footprints and looming global warming - the greed and ingratitude towards his very life sources."

Avani Rao a self-taught artist, says, "My paintings and installations address these concerns that are brought into the 'Flow' of ever-changing forms in a cosmic sphere - as sky , earth, wind and soil merge into each other, their movements are a force of energy as well as display an inherent, underlying calm. Within the blend of its imagery, colours and strokes, I endeavoured to reach the metaphysical, still well-grounded in reality.

Even though the forms were symbolically abstracted, instead of reaching to a colour field expressionistic palette that would express archetypical another world, I chose to retain the realistic colours of nature as seen in the landscapes of our everyday experiences e.g of a day breaking with vivid oranges and yellows , the mellow of a moon light, the clear blues of a summer sky, the greens bursting forth the cracks of the red earth, the poetics and sensuality as seen and felt every day, with every changing season and with the passing of every year in our lives."

In her work one can see imaginary consisting of the microcosm within the cosmic nature - the detail of a drop of water falling into the churning mighty ocean seems like the formation of a womb, in its swirling whirlpools.

The same drop forms a wet patch in the red brown cracked earth, made fertile for the growth of a new life. The spark of fire that swells from a mountain top , or a golden streak of lightening in the dark sky - these mirror the energy within us, as a coiled snake around our spine, the same serpentine energy that can take the form of a river meandering its way from the mountain tops towards the plains . These interplays spread their energy and essence into the life around, its plants, birds, animals and human life.

She hopes to touch the macro essence of nature, its mysticism and metaphysical resonance, while in its stillness to find peace and calm.

She says, "The very essence of nature as a life source also holds in its capacity, to destroy - man meddling with nature, massive destruction, pollution and disregard for environment gets into the flow of the forms.

The puddles of black, streaks and sparks are furious expressions that seem to be on the verge of striking back. Also, an awareness that in its belly of underlying energy, there is a spark that can either enlighten or capable of destroying life.

The 'Flow' is an attempt to resonate these forms into each other, peering a little into its magnificence, to see a glimpse of the self in its magnificence."