For the first time in Singapore, a solo exhibition of paintings by renowned Delhi-based artist Olivia Fraser explores spirituality, belonging and transcendence at Singapore’s Sundaram Tagore Gallery. Blending the formal traditions of Indian miniature painting with repetitive meditative motifs, Olivia has created a unique visual language that brings invisible spiritual concepts to life. A Journey Within is an evolution of her love of yoga, India, and its pranic era.
Between Amarta, Mango, and Fraser’s prismatic flower and bee series, the body of work stretches out like an Indian summer. Nature is her muse. Whether it’s between the flowers of an amaltas tree or the bounty of sweet Indian mangoes, a spiritual connection with nature benefits the soul and delights in the feeling of showing hope for the future. brings. Indian Summer II 2020, made of pigment and gum arabic on handmade paper, is a masterpiece that metaphors the sun and its enchanting resonance in the realm of mango trees. She uses images of tree leaves, yellow flowers of amaltus, and sunlight and golden orbs, the emotional essence of an ascent that captures the human gaze.
The amaltas tree and mangoes depicted remind us of the Indian summer season and the joy it brings. “For several weeks while painting this, I watched the amaltus tree outside my studio window bloom in the sunlight.” Used in Olivia’s Yoga, Meditation Various visualizations and an ongoing interest in nature itself (inner and outer vision) also influence these new works.
“I painted these pieces during the first lockdown in India, just as the summer heat was reaching the low 40s.As a northern Scotsman living in Derry, Despite living here for years, I find the extreme heat to be harsh, but when the Amaltas tree blooms in May, its golden branches shine, providing relief from the heat on the streets of Delhi. I’m going to be released. I’m going to be in a coma,” Olivia said at a show in London a few years ago.
Darshan Kamal 2019
Olivia has been fascinated by the idea of utilizing the senses during meditation. Her piece “Darshan Kamal 2019” consists of a pair of eyes with bees inside the eyeballs, bringing out the idea of both sight and sound. Upon closer inspection, this work appears to be a symbol of surreal splendor. Human eyes and bee wings have a rich blue color. Anatomical perfection and accuracy are as important as botanical meticulousness. It quickly becomes clear that Olivia has a deeper sense of both the Garden of Earthly Delights and the symbolism and evocation of yoga.
The word darshan means seeing God or being seen by God. She is committed to active engagement with images and viewers. What John Berger called the “reciprocal nature of vision” is here literally translated into the physical attributes of the human eye. In sacred Indian art, the eye is always the last element added to the icon. It is said to transform into a god, and devotees gaze at this image and have darshan with devotion.
Olivia quotes the Tamil poet Nanmalvar.
lotus eyes
He’s in my eyes,
I just met him,
His eyes clear my vision,
And all five senses are his body.
For years I have been fascinated by the idea of a vision inside yoga, a whole landscape inside, a lotus inside, and I keep coming back to it. ”
stem and petals
In Seeker and Breath III, the lotus blooms and ancient sacred connections in Indian art come to life. As a flower that blooms from the mud, it is associated with purity, wholeness, resurrection, and spiritual growth.
Olivia recalls: “Using almost everything I can see – the macrocosm of the world around me – became my inspiration, and I also use it in the studio and in yoga44. Sacred landscapes, flowers, chakras, serpents, Or create visualizations using whatever motifs are available in yoga meditation. I feel that it is very special and completely influenced what I paint.”
Temple II and the Door to Perception
Two works, “Temple 1I” and “Doorways to Perception,” use ancient techniques, jewel-like colors, and decorative, glossy surfaces to create paintings with a modern cross-cultural twist. reflects her ability to. Both works have ecological echoes, depicting trees and leaves bearing ripe mangoes, and mango trees are associated in India with sacredness and wish-fulfillment. What is fascinating is the frame she creates in pursuit of deep intonation.
A complex, jewel-toned pair that explores this inner journey. It recalls the nuances of architecture with a spiritual spirit. Olivia’s work is inspired by Indian scriptures. Her rare, untranslated 18th-century Sanskrit yoga textbook, Gelandhasamhita, became her catalyst. One excerpt describes the sacred landscape as follows: “On all sides there are Kadamba trees blooming profusely with flowers, surrounded by the Kadamba forest like a fence, and the fragrance of flowers wafts in every direction.” The text of the Geranda Samhita goes on to say, It mentions all the senses, such as scent (smell), fruit trees (taste), the hum of a bee, the sound of a cuckoo (sound), all of which are visualized by the yogi by “steadying himself.” ). (touch).
This text visually and artistically guides Olivia’s journey and reflects her meditation practice. All the paintings in this exhibition are related to this text in some way.
When asked about her love for nature, flowers and trees, she said: “In the olden days, you couldn’t draw a tree. Just looking at the trees, I was amazed! When I asked an Indian leader, ‘How can I learn to draw a banana tree?’ Shall we go out and try it? ” he said. “No, it has to be something you look for within yourself. There’s only one way to draw a banana leaf.” I liked that idea. In reality, you just need to calm down, reflect, look within, and arrive at your absolute essence. And in its essence, there is something close to dance. I could feel everything flowing as usual. It’s about following the breath, and it’s the same with dancing. It’s the same with singing, and when you’re trying to create an image, you’re combining all of these things. ”
Disclaimer
The views expressed above are the author’s own.
end of article
