Beauty of Kashmir comes alive on canvas

Hundreds of votaries of art who thronged the State Gallery of Art, Madhapur, Hyderabad were flabbergasted at the dexterity for Hyderabad-based Sireesha Srinivas' artworks on display at an exhibition.

Titled "Reminiscences (Kashmir on Canvas)" Sireesha's works present a slice of Kashmir's enchanting landscape in oil and acrylics.

Sireesha completed her master's degree before marrying Dr Srinivas, an IPS officer belonging to Hyderabad and working as Additional DG (Intelligence) in Jammu and Kashmir cadre.

Postings of Dr Srinivas in conflict-ridden Kashmir helped her explore the most exotic places from Kargil to Kupwara in the Valley.

About her journey as an artist, she says, "Since my childhood, I used to do painting. After going to Kashmir, I seriously picked up my canvas.

The beauty of Kashmir inspired me a lot, since then I have been doing it continually. In 2002, I started exhibiting my work, before that I never exhibited because I am a self-taught artist and I was not that perfect.

Many senior artists appreciated my work and then I gained confidence to exhibit my work."

Sireesha spent more than two decades in Kashmir Valley and has been witness to the tumultuous changes that Kashmir has passed through all these years.

She says, "This is my first exhibition in Hyderabad, but I had put up my first solo exhibition in the Hungarian International Cultural Centre in New Delhi and since then I have participated in various art exhibitions in Jaipur, Jammu, Amritsar, Goa and Delhi."

Sireesha made her foray into the art world as an amateur self-taught artist as there was a little premium for formal training in art in Kashmir and the security concerns for her only limited the opportunities, if any, to pursue art curriculum.

She does not, however, find the lack of a curricular orientation as limiting factor since the passion for her is to portray the picturesque beauty in front of her as she sees it in its original form.

It is the reminiscences of the memorable time that is being spent amidst the magical mountains that Sireesha expresses in her art with great zest and finesse.

Capturing nature's landscapes on canvas with impeccable ease and the serious attention to the finer details reflects her signature style.

She dabbles with colours in oil and acrylics with poise and the serenity in her paintings is in synchrony and symphony with nature.

The flora, fauna and the people of Kashmir have become part of her artistic drama that unfolds on the canvass. The saffron flowers, the shikaras, the lambs and the snow-covered peaks are real emotive elements that come together in her paintings in a lyrical quality.

The art exhibition has a collection of 20 portraits including that of a dozen of Saints from South India besides men of spiritual benevolence.

This exhibition has paintings that include landscapes, figurative, still life, drawings and abstract works with Kashmir on canvas.

"My art exhibition is for a cause and the proceeds from the sale of my paintings being given to families of the martyrs of J&K Police. That way I can help them," Sireesha signs off.