Nirmala Biluka | Paintings by Nirmala Biluka | Nirmala Biluka Painting - Saffronart.com

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Nirmala Biluka’s works are strongly autobiographical, and she constantly uses the self image as a reference as well as a protagonist in her work. Most of the works exhibited in ‘Signals’, her first solo show in 2007, represented Biluka’s a strong reactions to societal issues, identifying her as an artist who draws on events of the recent past as source material. Set in the realm of the modern metropolis, her canvases overflow with...
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Nirmala Biluka’s works are strongly autobiographical, and she constantly uses the self image as a reference as well as a protagonist in her work. Most of the works exhibited in ‘Signals’, her first solo show in 2007, represented Biluka’s a strong reactions to societal issues, identifying her as an artist who draws on events of the recent past as source material. Set in the realm of the modern metropolis, her canvases overflow with ubiquitous everyday objects, rendered in her unique idiom, with the composition forming an integral part of the creative process.

Not confirming to the norms of narrative painting, Biluka weaves a story out of the array of disparate objects that populate her frames. She uses a wide range of images to convey her message, as well as to relate particular incidents that might have caught her attention. Using images of a train, the Gateway of India and a clock and the colour red, for instance, the artist represents her angst about the bomb blasts that shook the city in 2006. Another image of a tiger atop a bed aims to throw light on the rapid extinction of the species, and the human encroachment that is destroying their natural habitat.

Speaking about her recent paintings, Biluka notes that they are "...representations of an enthralling journey of love, the contradictions in a relationship, and complex emotions involved in a marriage. All the feelings captured from my own experiences over the years are conceived and depicted employing uncomplicated imagery, where the couple in a marriage plays the love game, with their egos, often clashing. The series of paintings titled ‘Game of Love’, ‘Everything is fair in love n war, ‘Forever We shall not Depart’, etc, are inspired from beautiful love poems, which talk of emotions such as pain, possessiveness, jealousy etc that a person experiences while in love."

She continues, "A longing for togetherness as well as a constant struggle to define each ones own space is what comes out, while a newly wedded couple try to balance their home and their personalities at the same time. The sharing and bearing of each others stance helps them grow as individuals, while each one becomes a reflection of the other."

"The relationship between man and woman is often like the yin and yang in Chinese philosophy. It is often described in terms of sunlight playing over a mountain and in the valley. Yin is the dark area occluded by the mountain, while yang is the brightly lit portion. As the sun moves across the sky, yin and yang gradually trade places with each other, revealing what was obscured and obscuring what was revealed. Thus, seemingly disjunctive or opposing forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, giving rise to each other in turn, just as in a relationship."

"The most recent series of paintings, in scroll format, are inspired from popular representations of female protagonists, particularly in Indian mythology and history. Women often are presented as very vulnerable characters, for example Sita in Ramayana or Draupadi in Mahabharata play major roles in weaving the stories around their lives. As central characters; one can relate them to a contemporary woman whose life is also full of struggles, pains and gains just as it was centuries back. I try to read those epics through the female voice which seem to have been hushed over by a patriarchal society."

Born in 1980, Nirmala Biluka is currently pursuing her Doctorate from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda. Biluka had her first solo show, titled ‘Signals’, at Studio Napean, Mumbai, in 2007. The artist’s works have been featured in several group shows, including ‘Tryst with Telengana’ and ‘Reposte’ at Sarjan Art Gallery, Baroda, in 2007 and 2006 respectively; ‘Under Currents’ at Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi, in 2007; ‘Modus Operandi’ at Lanxess ABS Gallery, Baroda, in 2006; and ‘Translocal’ in Baroda in 2006. Biluka was awarded the Junior Research Fellowship from the University Grants Commission in 2006. In 2004, she was awarded the Telegu University Scholarship, and was also awarded the University Gold Medal at her graduation in 2003.

The artist lives and works in Baroda.

Honours and Awards

2006 Junior Research Fellowship under University Grants Commission (UGC)

2004 Telugu University Scholarship, Hyderabad

2003 University Gold Medal during Under Graduation

2003 Hyderabad Art Society Award, Hyderabad

2002 Best Painting Award by Police Academy, Andhra Pradesh

2002 Best Painting Award, Annual Exhibition of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (J.N.T.U), Andhra Pradesh

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Over the years your concerns seem to have changed, and with them the images you paint. Can you tell us a little about your journey as an artist since your move to Baroda?

My work has changed a lot over the years , especially after my post graduation in Baroda. As I did my graduation from Hyderabad, there, the mode of teaching is entirely different from Baroda. I found the former very pedagogic compared...

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Over the years your concerns seem to have changed, and with them the images you paint. Can you tell us a little about your journey as an artist since your move to Baroda?

My work has changed a lot over the years , especially after my post graduation in Baroda. As I did my graduation from Hyderabad, there, the mode of teaching is entirely different from Baroda. I found the former very pedagogic compared to Baroda school, which is highly inclusive and offers lot of freedom to a budding artist, to experiment and explore newer approaches.
My concerns have not completely changed, but have transformed from a common view point to a very personal outlook. I continue to shift mediums from oil to acrylic and watercolors as all are exciting mediums to work with.

Your recent watercolours often focus on relationships, whether between two individuals or between humans and animals. What message do you want to convey to your viewers through these works?

The series of watercolors was inspired from love poems. They talk about male- female relationship, particularly in a marriage. My paintings are representations of an enthralling journey of love, the contradictions in a relationship, and complex emotions involved in a marriage. My own experiences over the years are conceived and depicted employing uncomplicated imagery, where the couple in a marriage plays the love game, with their egos, often clashing. A longing for togetherness as well as a constant struggle to define each ones own space is what comes out, while a newly wedded couple try to balance their home and their personalities at the same time. The sharing and bearing of each others stance helps them grow as individuals, while each one becomes a reflection of the other.I often use animals as metaphors for ‘the other’ ,which could be an alter ego.
I want to share these experiences, which are common in any relationship, with the viewers, to convey that these are part and parcel of a life. We can enrich and improve our lives by self realization, trust, sacrifice, sharing and understanding.

The works in your first solo exhibition used the self-image frequently. Can you tell us how the female protagonist in your work has developed since then?

The protagonist has remained the same. Only her concerns have altered. Unlike the earlier paintings, where she is engaged in policing the things that effect her personal life, now she talks about the universal feminine in general. The ‘self’, its realization and its relation with the cosmos are the main focus in my work. Mythological and philosophical enquiries inspire me. Hence, the representation of ‘female/woman’ in our culture and its present position are the issues that intrigue me. The recent scroll format paintings are inspired from characters like Sita and Draupadi in Indian mythology.

Apart from watercolour, is there any other medium you are exploring in your work? You have recently started working with fabric-framed scrolls. Can you tell us more about what led you to that format?

The most recent series of paintings, in scroll format, are inspired from popular representations of female protagonists, particularly in Indian mythology and history. Women often are presented as very vulnerable characters, for example Sita in Ramayana or Draupadi in Mahabharata play major roles in weaving the stories around their lives. As central characters; one can relate them to a contemporary woman, whose life is also full of struggles, pains and gains just as it was centuries back. I try to read those epics through the female voice which seem to have been hushed over by a patriarchal society. As I was inspired from ancient scriptures, I thought I should present them in a traditional format like the scrolls. The fabric came naturally as a woman’s choice.

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PAST StoryLTD AUCTIONS

Showing 1 of 1 works

Lot 119 Details

No Reserve Auction of Modern and Contemporary Art 11-12 March 2020

Nirmala Biluka

Untitled

Watercolour on paper

20.5 x 13.75 in

Winning bid
$220
Rs 15,930
(Inclusive of buyer's premium)

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