Lightning Portraitist Usha Phenany Phatak’s solo exhibition ‘Gold Mine’ brings out the raw essence of an artist’s accuracy and precision

Connecting artists with art enthusiasts, Treasure Art Gallery presents ‘Gold Mine’, an exhibition by Usha Phenany Pathak. The show is curated by Georgina Maddox and will open on 19 February. As a traveller across the globe, Pathak brings the power of her artwork to her motherland. ‘Gold Mine’ is a collection of her portrait series, abstract series along with the artists working in her studio.

The quickness with which Pathak paints defines her artistic calibre and makes her worthy of the title, ‘Lightning Portraitist’. She captures the features of the sitter with amazing speed and precision. Every stroke on her canvas is an evocation of a certain abstraction characterised by contours and mannerisms. The vibrant quality and unstoppable passions bring an emotional impact on the audience. In her works, Pathak focuses on the face and uses abstract art for other aspects like the background and space around the figure.

Pathak began her training early under her father Shankar Phenanay, who was one of the renowned artists in India. She was naturally drawn to the field of art. At the age of 13, she started painting directly with colours without any prior sketching practice. “These drawings and paintings were very much rewarding, but I wasn’t able to capture the whisper of the wind and the gurgling of the river in a realistic manner and that led to the happening of abstraction in my work”, said Pathak.

During her time in the US learning computer graphics and sculpture, she felt she could combine the figurative and space elements to achieve her purpose in creating a larger format as a painting. Some of her works carry the tint of sculpture in them. With the emphasis on musculature and fully framed faces, she adds a sense of power to her work. She was inspired by the work of Jean Michel Basquiat and the ability to bring ‘sufferance right from the inner recesses’ acted as a stimulant for her work. 

She was charmed by the blend of text and image, abstraction, figuration and the mix of historical information with contemporary critique. “The painting is a happening”, says Pathak, “which has the ability to showcase deep emotions and the ability to extract strength and harmony in the viewer.” The exhibition will be on display till 18 March at Treasure Art Gallery. 

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