We have all seen the sea, heard it on the sea shore, smelt it, even tasted its saltiness in the air, and been awed by its immensity and scared by its inky blue depths and the great unknown that lurks beneath the surface.
But the works in this exhibition, aptly titled, “Visions beyond the Seas” represent the artist’s vision and impressions of the sea.
A major part of Shashi Thakur’s childhood was spent splaying on the beaches of Mumbai. Those days spent on the sandy shores left a profound effect on her. However, after relocating to Jabalpur, these memories faded. In Jabalpur, Shashi completed her PG studies in Fine Arts and began her artistic journey, exhibiting her works in various solo and group ventures subsequently. Quite a few years later, Shashi got a chance to observe the Sea again; this time it was a long stay in the Maldives. The forgotten childhood memories came to the forefront, stronger than ever and since then, her canvas has incorporated the forces of the Sun and the Sea.
Shashi offers an entirely new perspective on the sea. Constrained by the curbs on religious iconography in the Islamic country of the Republic of Maldives, her love tales of Radha-Krishna metamorphosed into a love story of the sun and the sea. The narrative captures different moods of the romance between the two elements. The sun represents the masculine qualities of fire and passion while the sea is the ever mysterious and patient female. The divine union of the two gave birth to the earliest life forms and originated life itself.
The deep rooted influences of Indian mythology on the artist could not remain subdued and appear on her canvasses as depictions of the mythical churning of the seas – “Sagar Manthan”, where the sea yielded not only priceless treasures from its hidden depths, but also spewed out toxic substances.
In a manner, even today, “Sagar Manthan” continues as mankind exploits the innumerable riches that remain concealed in the unmapped depths of the oceans. However, in the bargain man has forgotten that the sea is a living being and deserves to be respected. The exploitation by man has caused deep anguish to the sea, which Shashi has attempted to portray in her works. The paintings, instead of presenting a grim issue like global warming in a dark and depressing manner highlight the issue in a style that evokes concern and love for the oceans in the viewer. Love for the oceans will awaken mankind in a fashion that no amount of serious warnings or documentaries can do. A painting speaks a thousand words.