An artist at heart

Artist Rekha Shivdasani's grit epitomises how it's never too late to pursue and realise your dreams. After being a travel agent for 30 years, she decided to take up painting at the age of 42 in 1995.

"I was always good at painting even in school. So, I thought why not pursue it", she says. Rekha started spending a lot of time with her canvas. She honed her skills by doing a lot of research and getting inspired by her surroundings.

"The more I experimented the more I learnt. The learning process was amazing," she says. Now at 55, she's all set to showcase her skills at her third exhibition in Mumbai. Named Tapah, this exhibition is quite close to her heart. "It's a culmination of the discipline and penance in my life."

Tapah will display about 30 pieces of small and medium sized paintings, which includes a few works of charcoal. "It's a happy blend of charcoal and figurative works. Sixty per cent of it comprises oils, while the remaining 40 per cent are abstracts."

Spreading knowledge

The self-taught artiste has exhibited in several cities around the world like Dubai, Muscat and Vancouver and her works adorn the homes and offices in New York, New Jersey, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Estonia, London, Singapore, India and New Zealand.

Rekha has also taught painting techniques to several students. "I believe that art should be imparted. My students have done shows in Dubai, Jeddah, Karachi and Mumbai."


Individualistic style

Rekha indulges in a lot of oils, abstracts and figurative semi-abstracts. Charcoals are her forte. Passionate strokes are the main highlights of her works. Her designs are influenced by her strong philosophical beliefs.

She chooses her base from all over the world but sticks to Indian colours as they are more vibrant.

She counts Indian artist Jaideep Mehrotra has her greatest role model. "I simply love his style. He experiments with a lot of new mediums and his works are always suggestive."

Art as a way of life

A self-proclaimed regimented experimentalist, Rekha feels that art can bring joy and peace to individuals seeking solace.

She firmly believes that "Art is all about the art, not about the artist."

(Rekha Shivdasani's exhibition Tapah will be on from August 3-9 at the Museum Art gallery, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai).