Artist Sonali Pithawe’s work exhibits motifs of leaves on all her creations, to highlight the bond between human and nature

She paints what she observes. Sonali Pithawe Chouhan is deeply affected by nature and her works reflect the same. Portraying the relationship between nature and humans, her creations are on display at the exhibition ‘Strength of visibility’ in the India International Centre (IIC). Sonali has been painting since her childhood and for the past 15 years, she has been working as a freelance artist. Originally from Dewas (in Madhya Pradesh), she completed her Masters in Fine Arts from Indore. She has exhibited her works in several reputed national and international shows in countries like Germany, Russia, Switzerland and China.

Focussing mainly on canvas paintings, she describes her style as ‘semi abstract’. She also uses other mediums like ceramic, terracotta, paper and metal to showcase her creations. All the paintings and sculptures in this exhibition include motifs of leaves. The idea is to catch people’s attention from something as simple as leaves. “There is a lot of potential in everyday nature to make an ordinary work indistinguishable,” says Sonali.

Sonali has used a combination of different ideas to introduce creativity in her works. To emphasise the importance of trees and the harmony between nature and mankind, she has experimented with ceramic soil. “While creating any form of art with a particular idea, there is always an enthusiasm to know more about the subject. In this curiosity, we find that even though the aspects of creation may be different, it is the unbreakable bond between human emotions and its proximity to nature that connects art and culture together,” explains Sonali.

The collection includes all ordinary subjects — like a man reading a book, a crowd of people telling their stories — to which she adds the aspect of the pressing needs of nature. with regards to nature. So, head to IIC between August 8 to 14 to take a closer look at what nature has to offer.