“Shobha’s works, in whatever medium, do not overtly claim any whiff of holiness. Not at all. Rather they are her effort to understand and work within the boundaries of an age – old convention that has the basic harmony or purity of the underlying reality, as of inner reality. The Discipline, preparation, effort, contemplation, as the musical sense of the inner ear that has gone into these works is palpable and one would not even dare to sum it up or even outline it. Still it must suffice to say that a lifetime of close attention lies behind each of the works shown, quite apart from the training in the fundamental skill of geometry, drawings and colour” – Keshav Malik ji, eminent Art and literary Critic, writer, Poet.
MY WORK IS A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF MY OWN SELF – INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ARTIST SHOBHA BROOTA
“My work is a journey in search of my own self. It is the experience of space, colour, expanse and movement through which I travel into this mystical world. It is geared towards a silent inner communication,” says internationally acclaimed senior artist Shobha Broota.
“As an artist I was always interested in the play of colour, light, movement and rhythm; and then varying forms were revealed to me in consonance with my different experiences in life.
In the long pursuit of artistic creations, my endeavours as a painter passed through a lot of changes. I painted portraits, human forms, birds, animals, insects and varying elements of nature – water, air and space – and anything else that could give expression to my inner feelings – I drew and painted different forms which pulsate with organic energy. For years this orchestration of light and movement was somewhat loose. Then these elements got focused towards a centre, resulting in concentric circles and the spirals, with light emanating from the centre. Now, the energy has taken a new direction. This endless flowing energy knows no boundaries and flows ceaselessly creating numerous expressions.
My creative impulse is leading me towards the inner core of my being, the cardinal point of cosmic reference from which it bursts forth in numerous artistic creations. The joy I receive or hope to receive through God’s Grace and luck, is the vibration of this cosmic energy that throbs within the heart of the mysterious universe,” says eminent artist Shobha Broota.
The renowned artist Shobha Broota writes……
“In surrender, there is no longer any fight and struggle within…Life simply flows… “
We are all born…then we go through conditioning. We are taught to live in a certain way. Slowly we get bound by beautiful frills of life. We live blindly thinking this is it, but somewhere deep down, I knew this was not the true life. It’s all made up of conveniences. Once I realized this, I surrendered. I found there is another realm of existence from where life is being guided. In surrender, there is no longer any fight and struggle within… Life simply flows…
Being an artist has been a truly liberating experience. Much is achieved when I live in silence. My work is a journey in search of my own self. It is the experience of space, color, expanse and movement, through which I travel into this mystical world. My work is geared towards silent inner communication.
My journey as an artist has been a progression from detailed realism to ‘Essence-ism’. For me, creativity is an exploration within my inner being, where intuitiveness and spontaneity takes me beyond the limits of my thinking-mind into no-mind. I aspire to find peace, quiet and harmony through my work.
All creations are born from Nothingness and lead into Nothingness. The process of creation gives me joy and insight into the realm of eternity. I feel blessed being a participant in this eternal drama of knowing this Nothingness. My desire to translate my intense experiences of life into the empty space of a can, as is the driving force. I aspire to feel the limitlessness of the immaterial through the limits of the material. The process of painting itself inspires and rejuvenates me.
I am a witness to the Source from where all of my creative expression flows. It is a continuous movement which gives shape to my various creations. It seems there is no beginning and no end to this flow
I enjoy the visual phenomenon of nature, the cosmic play of birth and growth, light and darkness, the patterns and repetitions created by nature. My intrinsic relationship with music takes me deep into the world of resonance, abstraction and meditation which reflects in my work.
I am a witness to the Source from where all of my creative expression flows. It is a continuous movement which gives shape to my various creations. It seems there is no beginning and no end to this flow. Each work is just a fraction of the continuity of this movement.
Whenever I go wrong in my work, I take it as a blessing because it motivates me to change and create something new.
I do not pre- conceive or prepare for the purpose of painting. I just do it because I have to do it. It is an inner compulsion which flows from inside-out. Sitting in silence before a blank canvas, I contemplate. Intuitively, I start applying pigment layer by layer, merging one tone with the other, one colour with the other…playing with the structural formation…and suddenly I realize that there is nothing more to it. The work completes by itself. Just a flicker can reveal mysteries. One dot, one line says so much to me that the message gets disturbed if I try to expand or do something more to it. Sometimes just the color takes me towards deeper plunges. I can wander to different realms just sitting in front of a color. It becomes an end in itself. Whenever I go wrong in my work, I take it as a blessing because it motivates me to change and create something new.
Painting gives me total freedom but this freedom implies a lot of discipline, poise, focus, clarity and perseverance. I have used the experience of contraction and expansion in numerous ways in my work and life. I try my best to shed away all that is unnecessary and come to the minimum in expression. I have realized that the truth of simplicity and the use of the minimum is enough to achieve the maximum. And this is my essence…
Complete devotion and surrender is required for my kind of work. This surrender is the force which guides me. It becomes easy to create and the work moves harmoniously as / am not the doer. This method of work leaves me happy. In exploration I do not know what I will find and thus it is always a revelation.
Starting work from the centre and moving towards the periphery is an unending process. I feel the centre is a place of refuge for peace and quiet. It takes me within and that is where I would like to rest.
Born in Delhi in 1943, eminent artist Shobha Broota studied traditional Indian vocal music before she studied art. She studied Sangeet Visharad, Master’s in vocal Indian Classical Music in 1962 and Diploma in Fine Arts at College of Art, Delhi in 1964.
She has been the recipient of many awards including AIFACS; Sahitya Kala Parishad, Art Educationist Award from NDMC, New Delhi as well as scholarships and fellowships from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Renowned artist Shobha Broota has participated and curated various national and international Exhibitions including in New York, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Italy, Hungary, Denmark, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, South Korea, Netherlands, Poland, Mexico, Cuba, Chicago, Los Angeles, California and Sydney. She has held residencies in Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Fremantle and Guyana. She has co-authored a book, ‘Vesture of Being’ with eminent art critic, writer and Poet Keshav Malik ji.
