Emotions accessorised

Artist Anju Dodiya's works are informed by a sense of introspection. The 45-year-old's art remains rooted in the figurative and all elements within her paintings are charged with an emotional value.

In her latest body of work titled “Necklace of Echoes”, Dodiya focusses on evoking memory, pain, love and mortality. The stories are told not through a jewel but through what it signifies. The sparkle sheds light on faces that emote dark and sombre or puzzled moods and sometimes are enraptured by life.

Her use of water-colours compel the viewer to unravel the ambiguous frames and untold stories. Dodiya uses several other accessories like costumes, hairstyles, hats and collars that contribute to the emotional environment of the depicted characters in her works.

Dodiya's works lie between the real and the imagined and she selects her pictorial references from varied sources including Indian miniatures, Renaissance paintings, world cinema, Ukiyo-e prints, and newspaper photographs.

'Necklace of Echoes', Anju Dodiya's exhibition will be held between 11 a.m.-7 p.m. till February 20, at Vadehra Art Gallery, D-178, Okhla Phase 1, New Delhi-110020; 011-65474005/ 65474006;