* Indian Artists*--"Vallery Puri" The Artist and her Art

There are a bunch of artists in India whom I love a lot and admire a lot and could even spend hours looking at their paintings and also do secretly desire to have one of their paintings in a corner of our home. This is a New Feature on "Indian Artists" in "Celebrations Decor", where I would feature "Indian Artists". A platform for all my readers to get to know and to admire the different artists throughout India, whether big or small...

The first post is on "Vallery Puri" and her Art and Passion. An artist who is destined to become an artist will definitely become one. Having graduated from Lady Shriram College in Delhi and having done a foundation course from the JJ college of arts in Mumbai, and worked as flight attendant in an airlines, she travelled far and wide in search of art galleries, amazing is the passion.. She resumed painting in 1996 and from then there was no looking back. She has had her paintings exhibited in many solo painting shows and group shows also. What i loved the most is her unusual name, which i forgot to ask the meaning of and then her usage of bright colors and interpretation of the images. Absolutely beautiful is the word for it..

When asked about to feature on the post, she readily agreed and sent me all information I wanted. This is what she had to say:

"If someone were to ask me what art is, I would say there is no ‘right' or ‘real’ answer to that query and one cannot truly or completely answer that question. Is it something that appeals to one’s soul?

As an artist, whilst I paint, I feel connected to our Universe. There is this all round feeling of oneness, of being and yet not. This feeling of lightness of being……..

I have been painting from the time I can remember, and before that, as my parents remind me. Serious goal oriented painting with exhibitions in mind began on the morning of 8th Jan 1996 and has pretty much continued since. It was a dream on the night of 7th Jan that guided me and literally told me what to do. Fortunately, I actually listened and followed those instructions. My styles have evolved and matured over the years and continue to do so. It has been an interesting and colourful journey so far.

I am strongly influenced by the powers of nature and how it in turn controls us. The way we think, the way we are and feel. These emotions spill out on my canvases in a way that is figurative, descriptive and busy at times and otherwise simple and straight. It communicates the state of mind one is in ---- the busy ness or the bland blankness. These colours, compositions, and combinations are simply a form of communicating the varied emotions one feels as life unfolds with all its twists and turns. Sometimes I use opposing colours to the way I feel----- bright ones when I actually am in a dark space and so on.

Every painting has its own story to tell and a different one for each of the viewers who relate in their own personal way to what they see. Most of my paintings have titles like-------- Hukka, Chandini, Zevar, Darwaza, Khaali, Udasini, Mazaak, and so on.

I started with black ink on cartridge paper. As the weeks passed, several colours were added and gradually I moved on to canvas boards and black ink was replaced by a thick texturised (relief) look. I have used knives, brushes, back tips of brushes, croquil pens, pencils, twigs and several other everyday tools to achieve a fine intricate look in some of my work.

These group of works are titled "Where have all the forests gone?"

Blossoms
dance of love
forest fantasy 4ftx4ft
exuberant audience 3ftx3ft
birds and bunders on branches3ftx3ft

beneath the banyan,60x60,oil on canvas

Most of my paintings are primarily figurative. Having been a caricaturist right through school and college, it was but natural to pursue the curves of the body, mind, and soul. I use most mediums to explore my thoughts---- acrylic, oils, inks or pastels. Artists who have inspired me are Madhav Satwalekar, Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Rousseau and Amrita Shergil amongst others."

When I am not painting, she says she creates jewelry. Its fun and she actually walks around wearing a piece that was created moments ago!! There is always something new to look forward to and experiment with and of course learn from and she thanks our universe wholeheartedly for this.

Vallery Puri is settled in Delhi, married to Dileep Puri and has two sons, Prahlad and Arjun.

Hope you all enjoyed the artist and her works. This is from her recent works and a show to be hosted in Delhi. The details of the show will be put up later in another post. Her works are displayed in Art Experience, Gurgaon.

Image courtesy:Vallery Puri, Puja Gupta