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For her, colour is catharsis
Singh?s canvases have an almost 3D effect, with ample use of beads and trinkets.
As a child, she wrote poetry, made toys, embroidered beautifully, even designed jewellery, and often wondered whether she will ever be able to combine all aspects of her creativity into a harmonious whole. Ritu Singh needn’t have worried. Her paintings, on view at the Triveni Kala Sangam till April 3, are proof enough.
Singh’s canvases have an almost 3D effect, with ample use of beads, trinkets and silver foil cut into attractive designs. Even her brush strokes create a weaving pattern on the canvas.
And the best thing is that it wasn’t even a deliberate effort on her part. “It just seems to have come about unconsciously,” says Singh, who has even had a solo show at the Nehru Centre, London. “In that sense, my works are a reflection of my personality, an expression of my inner self. Most people are not open about themselves, but I am not one of them,” she says.
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| Ritu Singh says bright colours spread happiness |
Her choice of colours is again an extension of her personality. The vibrant red, yellow, orange and fuchsia is there simply because Singh just loves “bright colours, they spread happiness. Dull colours are not for me.” But it was not always like that for Singh. Some time back when she was going through a crisis in her personal life, not only did she use more black and white, even the images were more morose, dealing with issues, specially those related to women.
All that is a thing of the past. Today Singh is looking ahead, more at peace with herself. “My work was restless and explorative in nature when I started painting,” says Singh. “My mind is still in a constant state of flux, much like an inquisitive child playing with colour and canvas. I still combine mixed media with objects, cutting and pasting on a plain surface to add an extra dimension, but the evolutionary process is evident, at least to myself. It not only thrills me but also challenges me to work better.” Little wonder then that Ritu Singh’s exhibition is called Changing Facets.
