I believe you can travel in time through art. Be it poetry, music, paintings; all forms of art can remind you of a specific time you've lived through. Or bizarre even, can take you to a time you're not quite sure you've been to yet. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit a tiny art display gallery in Chennai. I went with my Dad (who is a big art enthusiast btw), and the day sort of became a core memory in my mind.
Firstly, there was rain and mud puddles everywhere and I almost felt like a child stepping out like that. The last time I remeber doing that with Dad was back in school. Secondly, the art gallery in itself, gave off this very serene vibe. It was fairly small, brightly lit and lacked crowd (you can understand my joy, lol). Most importantly though, it was my first time visiting an art exhibition of sorts. It was an exhibition for the chromolithographs of Raja Ravi Varma's paintings.
I didn't know much about the artist but I did my homework beforehand. I have to mention, I don't think art exhibitions are for people who don't really bother much about history or brush strokes or even the emotions behind an art piece. It is however an interesting way to pass time if you are inclined to eccentric titles and the damp, musky smells.
From what I know, the artist mostly depicted Hindu mythology and there was a lot of hidden sensuality in the way he portrayed them on canvas. Shyness and flirty banter seem to be a common theme. I also saw a few pieces in the gallery which reminded me of the 2020 calender shoot, where some of our Indian actresses portrayed the women in Raja Ravi Varma's famous paintings. When you look at the paintings you get transported to a different time. You can almost smell the canvas, the oil paints, the sarees, the flowers and ofcourse, the women. It felt as if I was part of a world I've never stepped in. It was surreal.
One of my favorites - "Hamsa Damyanti"
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