Chatting up artist Dinkar Jadhav about his upcoming exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai
As a child, Dinkar Jadhav liked making figures of bull from mud. That attachment for the animal lay dormant in his mind, till he used the motifs of bull and horse in his latest painting exhibition titled ‘Lust for Love’. To be exhibited at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai at the end of the month, Jadhav has also used elements of geometry in his art work. Here he talks about the theme and the various expressions of love.
In vivid and subtle shades of red and yellow ochre, brown and blue, artist Dinkar Jadhav has tried to express feelings of love and lust, through two animals. “The horse is considered as the symbol of strength, but I have used it as a symbol of love. This shows the soft side of the animal. Similarly, a bull depicts a new form of strength. The expressed and unexpressed feelings of love have been captured in my artwork. Also, they come with a frame, which stands for the boundaries; love that cannot be expressed freely. When a male and female meet for the first time, they are usually confused and baffled, that confusion has also been expressed under various titles.”
Jadhav, who has worked in the medium of acrylic, has given his paintings, eight to ten coats of colour, so that it lends the art a certain softness. “The colours that have been used give the paintings a digital effect. Moreover, the colour patterns are blended. Yet they stand out individually,” informs Jadhav, who is exhibiting 30 such artworks at the gallery.
The artist worked for more than a year, to research on his subject, including visiting the racecourse to study animal behaviour. Says he, “For more than a year, I researched on the subject and titles for each painting. A detailed study of horses was also involved. I went to the race course for studying the horses and the observation helped me connect with them and understand their emotions. The energy of anguish got transformed into the energy of love while exploring this theme.”
Jadhav has now been painting the animal for six years. That’s a change he has adopted consciously in his work. “Before I started painting horses six years ago, I was working on landscapes, monuments and people. I have grown over the years and that has also reflected in my 22-year-old artistic journey. The horse in the paintings does not remain ‘just a horse’ but I see myself in him. I have always tried to express in new ways what I have observed,” he explains.
Having said that, the artist points out that at the same time, it is important to not forget what you have learnt. “While working on the themes of horses, I have not forgotten the art of depicting landscape or the other lessons that I learnt in my art school or early days of my career. It is very crucial to discover yourself and express it and develop your own style. Art cannot be mastered in one day. You have to be patient and persevere. Of course, you can take ideas from the internet, but let your art be original,” he concludes.
ST Reader Service
Pune-based artist Dinkar Jadhav’s solo exhibition titled ‘Lust for Love’ will be held at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, from December 25- 31, between 11 am and 7 pm
