Of winged dreams and desires

Bold brushstrokes byartist Arpita Chandra conjure up a dreamland in her ongoing solo exhibition "Dream", narrating the tale of women who might be physically at home, but their imagination runs wild and unrestrained.

Mounted at the Triveni Kala Sangam in Kolkata, the show of 23 mix media works depicts fluid female figures against the backdrop of what is usually domestic objects -- furniture, potted plants and even a sleeping cat.
"I paint women who remain within the confines of their homes.

They are often physically affixed' but nobody can stop their desires and dreams," Chandra, a former student of Kolkata's Government College of Art, said. Expressed visually through flying, contorted bodies of the female figures is a sense of freedom and fantasy that the artist fills her paintings with.

Long, flowing hair and voluptuous bodies define many of her works.However, the subjects of Chandra's paintings were not just drawn from the society, but from her own experiences. Akin to her self-portraits, the paintings reflect a personal history that can be extended to many women like her.

"In one painting, I am seen looking upwards and thinking. The composition draws the eye to a point outside the painting, signifying that we all want to be out," Chandra said. "Dream" is open for public viewing till November 25. Entry is free.