Youthful spirituality

In her latest series, titled In the Quest of Green — 3, artist Rakhee Roy attempts to depict the destruction of our natural resources. The works that were on display at the Nehru Centre gallery in Mumbai, are the artist’s attempt to depict the “serious curse of modern consumerist civilization and how it has brought the world to the brink of annihilation”. The “green” mentioned in the title depicts the “chlorophyll of the earth that is withering”.
Rakhee says her paintings are products of her pain at confronting the reality (of our earth). Apart from this, the importance of staying true to her roots plays a huge role in the artist’s work. “A lot of artists look to the West for influences, or their work shows a lot of Western dominance. I believe India is a minefield of inspiration for an artist,” says Rakhee when asked why indigenous influences are so important to her.
Rakhee strikes a balance between assimilation of Eastern trends with Western modernity. It is also deeply reflective of her personal philosophy. “My paintings are an extension of the fantasy that I live in,” admits Rakhee. “Subconsciously, most of us are fantasising about things. It’s like an alternate reality that we create for ourselves. It is more soothing than reality.”
An acrylic on canvas, titled Atma has a luminous red background that has the appearance of an underwater world, with a female form in shades of golden-yellow in the foreground. The woman’s dancing posture appears like that of a goddess seated on the back of a tiger. Fish forms as well as figures of birds surround the woman. Another work, called Dry Water, indicates an environment of drought, while a girl stands behind a leafless tree. A painting titled Urge depicts a young girl, surrounded by nature at its best.
All the works emanate a certain quality that isn’t of the “here and now”. “Somebody once noticed my paintings and said that they have a spiritual connection. That is right in a way. Instinctively, I tend to showcase my spiritual side through my paintings,” Rakhee explains.
Rakhee’s training in art wasn’t conventional. She honed her early love for creative pursuits through systematic practise at the Birla Institute of Liberal Arts and the sketching club of Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata. But after completing a degree in Pyschology, she devoted herself full-time to art.