Artist Sharmila Gupta likes painting happy, cheerful themes. “I like happy subjects,” she says, adding, “I search for happiness and generally like painting couples, families, groups of people or abstract works.” Whatever feels good and exudes positive vibes find their way onto her canvases.
All her 17 acrylics and oil on canvas in this exhibition titled My Traits also consist of women, flowers and landscapes. “I believe women are soft inside but tough on the outside. They have a strong emotional intelligence and resilience which I have tried to convey through my paintings,” says Sharmila.
The lady has been painting professionally since the past 10 years after taking private tuitions from the professors of the JJ School of Art. She admires artists like Picasso for his superb colour scheme and closer home, she likes the works of figurative painter Ramchandran for his brilliant use of bright colours. However, it was her husband who supported her immensely to get into this field. “I am still learning and have yet to define a signature style for myself,” says the 33-year-old artist.
Interestingly, Sharmila doesn’t leave even an inch of canvas blank — she likes to fill up the entire space with intricate details. Since she is attracted to happy concepts, her colour schemes also follow a predictable pattern of being vibrant and cheery.
In the past, Sharmila has done small shows in Andheri, Kandivili and at the World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, but says this is her first really big solo show and is excited about the response towards it so far. She fondly recalls her experience at her first exhibition which was to be a joint project with her cousin brother but due to unforeseen circumstances he had to pull out at the last minute.
She was quite nervous but her husband inspired her to take this as an opportunity and display her paintings. “At that exhibition even my very first art work which I had done as a 10-year-old kid got sold!” she says, excitedly. And there’s been no looking back ever since.
Catch the exhibition, My Traits, at DD Neroy Gallery, Chowpatty, on till November 20.
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