Heart Above All

Aruna Tewari is person of many parts and which also includes the art of painting. Her work often comprises compositions couched in sufficient degree of abstraction. In her works, we find expression of that attitude to nature which is fundamental to life and living. These, at their best, can be lovely enough compositions that are the product of the artist’s contemplations of love. Freshness and spontaneity in her works reveal that the artist harbours an inner world. This is something that is increasingly missing in the members of the formally tutored middle classes of the day. Life, to such a painter, is no longer seen as field of conquests but an expression of the mystery which the human intellect can never hope to encompass.

Unlike several painters, Aruna does not fill up all the picture space. Much is left to the imagination of the viewer or conveyed by mere suggestions. The artist has a good sense of the value of the space, and thus large areas are left untouched so that the mind of the viewer can wander freely as if in the spacious infinity, before being caught again by the imperative rhythm of an enhancement of some revealing stroke of the brush. She works largely from the memory of the viewed nature or from the forms of the contemplated pristine images as if flying in the celestial space. But all these are done with artistry and an inventive mind resulting in a technique whose symbolism and style is well established. Given a disciplined attitude and agreeable brush control coupled with prolonged mediation upon her themes, she produces a unique work of a delicacy and assurance. Colour, as an aspect of light, has been well explored by the painter so that each one of the colours is affected by the direct and the reflected light that falls on it.

No doubt Aruna as a painter is at the earlier stages in her artistic journey and therefore like all assayers of art craft, she has to imbibe a larger repertoire of artistic know-how from the annals of art. However, even in such a situation she is on a sound footing and that will help her and the same will be acknowledged by the viewers as well.

by: Sh Keshav Malik, Artist