Speaking of vivid memories

India Art Festival, a leading modern and contemporary art fair in India, is a new model for dialogue and collaborations between art galleries, artists, art buyers and connoisseurs who come together every year under one roof, since 2011. This year the festival that started on 17 January will be on till 20 January 2019. Hyderabad-based woman artists Sonaly Gandhi and Afza Tamakant presented their works at the festival.

Sonaly’s work is titled, “Painting is another way of keeping a diary” – Pablo Picasso. She says the inspiration behind her work is, “A quote that has an influence on all my paintings! The quick and easy availability of information at the click of a button has not only changed the way we live but also our relationships. The dairy of my life is filled with experiences of such evolving relationships between men and women, which I portray through my works.”

Afza is displaying five of her works at the art festival. “I have been displaying my work for the past three years. My series on vintage cars that I have been working on since the past five years is currently on.” About her inspiration Afza says, “My inspiration for painting cars came from my deep etched memories of my grandfather’s old black fiat. The car and the memories spent in that car are very dear to me.

I believe each car has a story to tell. The people, who cherished it and the trips made in it; whether its going out with friends or on picnics with family. The conversations and the time spent in these 4 wheelers are worth sharing.” “I see every person has a deep-rooted connection with his or hersfirst car,” she adds.Sonaly says, “Since childhood, I have always been passionate about figurative works. With passage of time and experience, my style has evolved. For the last decade, I have worked out of my studio, portraying the subjects of my paintings from everyday experiences of my own, acquaintances and even strangers and depicting them in a contemporary manner.

My style is very fresh and has been profoundly appreciated and accepted not only in India but also internationally. I use perfect symmetrical forms like squares, rectangles, checks and butterflies to cover the figures thereby symbolizing the struggle for perfection of the contemporary human race.”