Monochromatic moods

Exploring the beauty of black and white, a painter and a photographer collaborate for an exhibition in the city, creating a zen like experience through their works.

A monochromatic journey of a brush and a camera, have come together in the city to explore the beauty of nature and landscapes to its fullest. The photographer Achal Kumar and the painter Aruna Vasudev are showcasing their works in a group exhibition. Achal Kumar, from his childhood, has embraced the discipline and challenges of the lens and uses black and white colours for expressing his photographs while Aruna Vasudev has dedicated her life to painting.

When asked why she used monochrome for her paintings , Aruna Vasudev says, “When I was much younger, after college what I really did was black and white paintings. I love to paint but it happens by chance. In this exhibition, I am showcasing black and white paintings but I also do  colour paintings.”

Achal Kumar shares that monochrome has the power to convey a feeling, certain moods, and a story. “I believe that monochrome is a very artistic medium. Two colours and infinite grey tone helps my imagination.  It gets my creativity going. The elements are basic two colours and tones in between, it’s a challenge which I readily accept and give it the right treatment and composition which helps get the message across,” says the photographer.

According to Aruna the time of the day does not change the perspective of the painting. She considers monochromatic painting a very special and unique style in which one can easily differentiate the colours.  Hers are inked painting in which there is no use of colours. It is famous not only in India but also in China, Japan, Korea and many other countries all over the world.

“I believe that the images are made in the brain. Photography or painting is a medium to express that,” says Achal Kumar, whose favourite subjects for photography are nature and landscapes. “Nature, its vastness, its beauty, and its raw unstoppable force sends me in a hypnotic trance where I start imagining it in shades of monochrome. As the images are made in mind, my thought process goes in an overdrive to create artistic imagery,” he adds.

Raghurai and Achal Kumar are the favorite photographers of Aruna. “There are so many wonderful photographers all over the world and I also love photography. I can’t judge anyone’s photography but Raghurai and Achal Kumar are my favourite photographers. Achal Kumar has a love for nature that I have as well. There are so many brilliant and superb photographers all around the world but I like nature’s photograph,” she adds.

“I have done some very tiny   paintings with just one tree, small tribes and huge mountains on it and I enjoyed that. I also drew big paintings but I am in love with my tiny little paintings that I make usually on daily basis,” says the painter on being asked about what one can expect from this exhibition.

Achal Kumar is also looking forward to his future exhibition of colored photographs, which will also be on the subject of nature and landscapes.

The exhibition organised by Art Konsult is on till April 24 at India Habitat Centre.