Past and Beyond

A solo exhibition titled ‘Past & Beyond’ will be held at Visual Arts Gallery, Lodhi Road, from May 4 to May 8. It will feature the works of Smita Jain, a textile designer, and capture architecture designs from her travels. A native of Bihar, Smita has been painting and exhibiting her works for more than 20 years.

The exhibition explores her happiness from memories of her travels. The combination of memories is what gets reflected in the cityscapes that she paints. Any viewer can guess the suggested location of the imagery from the type of architecture she presents but she goes beyond the realistic architectural representation and prepares an assortment of memories hanging in gaps, hidden in shadows and floating with the clouds. She uses printing blocks, stencils and spatula impasto to create textures and motifs.
“As an artist, I find inspiration in the intricate details of the buildings’ exteriors, which give me a glimpse into the lives of those who reside within. By incorporating these elements into my artwork, I am able to create a visual representation of my own memories and experiences,” she says about her art.

“As a curator, my role was simply to help her see what she subconsciously already knew about her work and to present it in new ways. To work with an artist looking to experiment and explore with their own ideas and narratives is a blessing for someone like me, who is always on the lookout to experiment with my own reasoning and ideas. The exhibition is all about Smita’s desire to explore within her work; be it through materials or presentation,” says curator Aakshat Sinha.

When: May 4 – May 8
Where: Visual Arts Gallery, Lodhi Road