My wife, my muse

Artist Prakash Bhende has dedicated a series of 20 ‘nudes’ to his spouse and erstwhile Marathi actor Uma Bhende

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Sixty six- year-old artist, Prakash Bhende, has sought inspiration from his wife and erstwhile Marathi filmstar, Uma Bhende, while depicting a series of 20 paintings titled Soul Breathing. The collection portrays female nudes.

Bhende however is reluctant to term his subjects as ‘nudes’. Instead he says he wants to depict the ‘purity of the soul’ through them. He says, “I’ve been working for a long time on figures resembling the Ajanta and Ellora frescoes. I have realised the purity that has been a part of the female figurines. Through my paintings, I have tried to capture the woman in her different moods.”

Unlike other artists who use light and shadow effects to blur the intimate parts of the body, or dwell on abstract art to stay away from too much of detail, Bhende has retained the realistic touches. He says, “The way your audience receives your works depends  on how you present them. The audience must learn to see beyond mere anatomical details and  perceive the story that the artist wants to tell.”

Bhende has not only dedicated his collection to his wife, Uma, but had her inaugurate his show at Artists Centre (Kala Ghoda) recently. For Bhende, this is his way to give back to Uma what she missed out on, when she gave up acting to marry the man she loved. He says, “However big a star she had been, Uma has no qualms in helping me with my work, sometimes just washing my paintbrushes.” The proceeds from the exhibition will go towards rehabilitating the flood victims of Maharashtra and Bihar. The show is on till October 19.