Blog

Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 805 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath recently hosted the first solo exhibition of artist Banani Kundu, titled Hardship and Heartbeat. See our coverage of 10 years of earlier exhibitions at this Bengaluru venue here.

“During my life, I experienced hardship and struggle. I have also seen how middle-class people sacrifice their dreams for the sake of their family. To depict their dream and agony through my canvas has been by main inspiration,” Kundu tells YourStory.

Over the years, she participated in a number of group shows which gave her confidence to create her own solo show. “I always wanted to create my own identity through my signature style,” she recalls.

The group shows helped bring appreciation for her style. “In group shows, the advantage is that viewers get to see many styles under one roof, but it is difficult to recognise any one particular style,” Kundu explains.

Her artworks are priced from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2 lakh. She is working on other commissioned works as well, and is planning more group exhibitions.

Her solo exhibition addresses the sorrow and bliss that constitute the building blocks of life. “Moments of wild joy melt into spells of struggle. The nectar of love merges into the silence of waiting,” she describes.

“The wish for eternity blends with a desire to escape. My canvas is the testimony to such conflicting emotions. In the end, life is a celebration of a primordial intensity, be it agony, pain or love,” Kundu adds.

This contrast of emotion is reflected in the range of colours used in her paintings. “Each brushstroke is a reflection of the human experience. The vibrant hues and contrasting shades symbolise the duality of existence, where light and darkness coexist in a delicate balance,” she says.

Through her art, Kundu strives to convey the raw beauty of life’s journey. “My artworks invite viewers to embrace their own emotional landscapes and find solace in the shared tapestry of our collective experiences,” Kundu says.

In her journey, she has worked with different mediums like charcoal, soft pastel, watercolor, acrylic, oil, and mixed media. “Mixed media suits me well and I will continue with it,” she adds.

Kundu was pleased with the audience reactions to her exhibition. “The message connects with all and this is a great return for my efforts. People also liked the simplicity of the messages across the canvas,” she says.

“It is an honor for me when people selected my artworks for their living rooms,” she proudly adds.

“After long efforts, I could develop my own signature style. I suggest all budding artists do the same. It takes time but is worth the investment as it will make you stand out from others,” Kundu signs off.

Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?

(All photographs were taken by Madanmohan Rao on location at the gallery.)