Gallery Sarah, in Bait Al Zubair, will host a contemporary art solo exhibition titled ‘Journey of Souls’ by Dr Shalini Gupta Kumar, to be inaugurated by Anil Khimji, director Khimji Ramdas tomorrow. The exhibition runs from October 21 to November 2
There’s no one in Muscat’s art circles who doesn’t know Dr Shalini Gupta Kumar – the short, bespectacled lady with a warm, chirpy disposition, a husky voice, and an evergreen smile… She’s omnipresent in every joint exhibition, she floats her own solo exhibitions in between, and you could even catch her doing a little gig to entertain guests at some of her appearances at art events!
An artist, craftswoman, sculptor, poet, dancer, and art teacher, all rolled in one, Dr Shalini lives art every moment of her life. You can see prominent glimpses of her obsession with art not just in her home but also in her attire, the jewellery she dons, and her ability to befriend anyone in an instant.
Tomorrow will be another special day for Dr Shalini as her solo exhibition – Journey of Souls – opens at Gallery Sarah, in Bait Al Zubair, and continues till the culmination of Diwali celebrations on November 2. The artworks on display reflect not just the inner energy that keeps her ticking but also her vibrant interactions across cultures and the confluence of emotions that well up within her persona and floods her soul with positivity.
“We are divine but imperfect beings who exist in two worlds, material and spiritual. It is our destiny to shuttle back and forth between these universes through space and time while we learn to master ourselves and acquire knowledge. It is what we are striving for, which is important, not how we appear,” she asserts explaining that she has used shades of yellow, orange, blue, violet, brown and gold, along with different hues of sand “to create an artistic illusionary space where the subject of respective artworks come alive with an enchanting view of the beholder.”
Over the past four decades of her connection and career with art, Dr Shalini has experimented with and mastered many diverse artistic techniques, from acrylic painting to mirrorwork, creating tabletop décor and wall-hangings as well as ceramics. She has exhibited her work not just in Oman and India but also in Dubai, Indonesia, Uganda, Brunei, Greece, Canada, USA and Russia.
‘Journey of Souls,’ curated by Fahad al Hassani will be showcased at Gallery Sarah from October 21 to November 2. It comprises 14 large abstract artworks executed in acrylics and mixed media on canvas. There is also an installation artwork embodying the title – Soul of Oman – done using indigenous vegetation, rock pigments and sand of Oman.
Dr Shalini explains, that in life, one undergoes a myriad of emotional journeys, in one’s pursuit of a means of subsistence – this often brings on confusion and disillusionment that leaves the individual struggling to find meaning and fulfillment in his/her life. Though spiritual encounters do bring about reflection and refinement, it often leaves one at the crossroads given the compulsions of modern living, she asserts.
“The journey of every individual is different, yet it has a balance of two aspects – there is warmth and brightness of good deeds, on one hand, and unrest and dullness of bad deeds, on the other,” she says, adding that her artworks depict this very confluence of good and bad deeds via different hues and shapes in a contemporary way. “Through meditative art works invisible emotions of souls are depicted beautifully,” she asserts.
Recently, Dr Shalini has started creating sculptures with natural bark and wood – for which she was awarded ‘Best Sculpture’ at a recent event at Art and Soul Gallery. The current exhibition includes one such work which is also evidence of the fact that she is hugely inspired by nature in Oman.
A whirlpool of emotions
Asked what made her choose this theme for the exhibition, Dr Shalini explained, “I usually meditate, close my eyes and put my emotions and feelings on canvas. So, it’s like expressing the journey of the soul – sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes entangled in a whirlpool of emotions and our deeds. All living creatures, even trees have a soul that often gets distorted or burnt up due to unfair treatment by humans. Hence, all emotions and activity undertaken by us, and the responses that we face, together define the journey of our soul.”
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