Coping with absence
An exhibition that explores a middle-aged female's perspective of getting through life and coping with loss of a loved one.
When a loved one dies, there is a feeling of loneliness that one feels. Even though time heal wounds, the person’s presence will always be missed.
In order to explain the feelings of coping with a loss of a dear one, an exhibition titled 'Permeated Absence' is currently organised at Nature Morte Gallery recently. The exhibition displays the artworks of Dhruvi Acharya. She displays her work using the mixed medium on canvas where the artist is exploring ways to get through life.
Speaking to the artist, she says, “Living with death is an odd experience.” She adds, “All the works I made deal with the absence of a person. There are different ways in which the feelings are expressed.”
There is a reason why the works on display have been put under the banner of "Permeated absence’, she points out that the title reflects on the absence in her life - especially of her husband. She adds, “It wasn’t a planned title. It came across because of the work I was doing.”
The protagonists that reside in her work are women because no matter whatever she does the topic of women is constantly on her mind and she really cares about. “I’ve been thinking of women in India because my experience and culture is from here. So I relate to what people (women) go through,” she points out.
The works also explore the female’s mind and the complex feelings it possesses and one wonders if capturing the complex emotions were a Herculean task for her or not; she responds, “No! Because when I draw, I don’t sit with a specific idea in my mind. While I am painting, there are all sorts of things going on and slowly, they come on to the canvas.”
There are layers noticed in her works — both in terms of artistic technique and meaning. Speaking on the artistic and symbolic point of view, she points out that it is an interest of hers to add different layers to her canvases, further adding, “I use a variety of mediums where first maybe of graphite and charcoal and then I’ll go with a glaze of acrylic medium. Then, I’ll put a wash. She adds, "It’s also symbolic of layering of the memories in our mind. It’s how days pass and how you look at your life."
Apart from the intense layering, she incorporates the use of matt which gives it a certain shine to the painting in certain areas. “It creates visual interest and something that I enjoy creating on canvas,” she says.
She feels that people are able to relate to the emotions behind the work. “It’s not that I illustrate the emotion, I just paint with emotion,” she adds. On a concluding note, when asked about if she is satisfied with whatever she has put out on display, she sums up, “I have done my best. Each painting I have put on the wall, I have toiled over.”