What immediately catches your eye when you come upon the works of BR Bodade and his wife Sushila at the Jehangir Art Gallery is their absolute opposite use of colour palettes to give form to their thoughts on the canvas.
While Bodade paints his canvas with a variegated tone of sepia, Sushila breathes life onto her canvas with a riot of colours that puts the blazing sun to shame.
Bodade explains his works that generally revolve around capturing the essence of rural life, especially a slice of village life from parts of central Madhya Pradesh, “My works are always sepia tinted, something that I have consciously maintained over the past 20 years. In fact the subjects of my work have also remained similar over two decades,” he says.
The artist who loves to reminisce over those days when he lived in those same parts of the country, says that the sepia veneer in his works give him and his viewers a flashback.
Another interesting aspect about his works, be it a quick peek into the dhaba culture of central India, or the balloonwalla who hawks his wares at the local bazaar — the constant motifs in his canvases is always the lone dog who watches the passage of time from the peripheries. The artist explains, “Animals are part of our everyday existence and we cannot deny that. The dog is the most loyal and domesticated animal and they find prominence in my works.”
Sushila’s works in contrast dwell in the present and she depicts them in bold colours that dominate most of her canvases. She borrows heavily from Indian mythology, depicting the flautist, his bovine companion and the beautiful damsel who stands by, impressed by the musician’s abilities.
The artist explains her works, “In my canvases, I have depicted women in their happiest moments — a time in the day set aside just for themselves, be it gazing out at the setting sun or indulging in some soul-searching music.”
The exhibition is on till today at Jehangir Art Gallery.
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