Art takes on many shades; sometimes it titillates the mind, and at other times it relaxes the very being of existence. Shobha Broota’s work falls under the latter. Born in 1943 into an artistic family, her passion for music knew no bounds. She directed her infatuation towards fine arts and soon enough she rose to prominence. She has displayed her creations in India, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and more as both solo and group exhibitions. At present, she works at Triveni Kala Sangam where she influences a new generation of artists.
Shobha Broota’s Art Style
Shobha Broota believes in simplicity which is reflected in her work. Her oeuvre is food for one’s senses. Despite using lines and shapes in her pieces, they largely remain untethered. The way she curates shades is simply meditative. The underlying knowledge of geometry, design, and colour is nothing short of impeccable, embedding a sense of purity and serenity in her artworks.
Shobha Broota has worked with several mediums and forms. In her early career, she created portraits. In the 1970s-80s, she took up wood etchings. She soon traversed to oil & acrylic painting. She has incorporated hand-woven fabric and threads into her pieces to form patterns. The subjects of her paintings aren’t always figurative, she also paints abstract elemental forms.
Shobha Broota’s Artworks
In her long career, Shobha Broota has done it all. She’s drawn from references and imagination; varying subjects; and diverse colours. She is a teacher, an author, a printmaker, but above all an artist with deep sensibilities. Each of her artworks deserves recognition even though only a few have been mentioned below.
Silent Murmurs
At first, her collection may seem reductivist. The longer you see Shobha Broota’s ‘Silent Murmurs’, the more chances you have of being lost. The collection relies heavily on symmetry and luminous colours. The collection employs fabric (wool and silk) and has an almost tantric quality, seducing the viewers into a meditative and relaxing trance.
Cluster
Shobha Broota started her career with portraits before slowly transitioning into abstract amorphous shapes. This painting is an ode to Indian abstractionism. The painting features a big smear composed of several small entities. It seems like a synecdoche – one for whole and whole as part. Connoting her transition, the small entities are coloured in different shades and intensities of brown, differentiating the infantile from the old. The painting also represents the formation of life through multiplication – soon dominating the entire canvas.
Resonance
Made as wool on canvas, this Shobha Broota collection is aptly titled ‘Resonance’. Despite using muted hues, she still manages to capture the audience’s attention, solely due to the unyielding texture of the artwork. As the name suggests, the audience is left enveloped in warmth. Too personal, the viewer can feel, relate, and project their experiences onto her work. While looking at her pieces, one may expect to willingly relinquish control of the mind. The collection serves as a window to another dimension, pulling the viewers to be subsumed.
Photo Courtesy – Aicon Contemporary Gallery
