Cascades of falling roots

- June 22, 2022
| By : Jayali Wavhal |

Aparna Bidasaria's solo show titled ‘FALAK - Meditations on the Banyan’ showcases a tapestry of evocative paintings of the banyan tree, an enduring symbol of wisdom, protection, timelessness and civilisational antiquity

Gupt by Aparna

Curated by noted critic Uma Nair, the exhibition by Gallerie Nvyā at Bikaner House has 23 paintings in colours that stand out for artistic exquisiteness, meditative quality and compositional harmony. It is a combination of visual grandeur and experiential delight.

“My colours try to capture the intensity of the sun, the cool and quiet of the Bargad’s shadows, and what the tree means to me. Left on its own devices, the Bargad stretches itself across eons of time and space personifying the beauty and power of nature”, says Bidasaria.

The largest work, titled Madamast, in the show, is a dense pointillist green entendre that makes us feel the preciousness of our connection to our environment and the solemnity of our obligation to safeguard the future and to protect the Earth we are bequeathing to future generations. 

Founder Director of Gallerie Nvyā Tripat Kalra says: “Aparna’s art is clearly demonstrated in the quiet art of pointillism and the principle of drip. But Aparna moves beyond territory of both eastern and western artistic techniques, as delicate dots and lines are employed to denote shape and form against a background that echoes of the past and present melding to give us studies on the banyan.” 

Aparna’s iconic stylization of roots and thick network of branches in the banyan become most developed in her new works and is evident in the elongated lithe lines and strokes. The banyan for Aparna is a testament to her continued search for the best means through which to represent our culture.

Aparna Bidasarai
Aparna Bidasarai

The banyans also have an urbane feel and manifest startling modernity that looks at abstract expressionism. 

She also uses the tree as a metaphor for her spiritual odyssey and sense of solitude. In doing so, she creates art that transcends national and cultural boundaries, attracting audiences from the East and the West. 

Aparna’s studies on the banyan tree done over seasons stand as a testament to the power of conscience, insight and our collective ability to make the world a better place. Her conclusions provoke us to realize that human beings do not live in isolation, but are a part of something much bigger. 

The banyan tree stands in all its majesty and grace demonstrating the complexity of the natural world — and our ability to disturb it — like the climate crisis. In many ways, this exhibition exhorts us to think about going green, about the harm we do to our planet earth and environs, as each day, we pump more than 90 million tons of pollution into the atmosphere. 

Where: The Art Gallery, Bikaner House

When: Till 25 June, 11 am to 7 pm

For more stories that cover the ongoings of Delhi NCR, follow us on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatriot_in/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Patriot_Delhi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thepatriotnewsindia