Vasundhara Tewari

The outer and the inner worlds converge to express the interplay between the two in Vasundhara Tewari’s work.

In keeping with her growth as an artist, Vasundhara Tewari’s paintings have now evolved to encompass both the natural and human-made material world. Objects and life forms that are inextricably linked with human destiny find their rightful place on her canvas. In her own words, "The handling of brush is looser – many of the forms continue from my earlier work but the treatment is flatter - and less controlled. The figure is no longer the sole focal point. It is now juxtaposed with other elements that have been given equal, if not more, attention."

A Calcuttan born in 1955, Vasundhara Tewari studied literature at the University of Delhi and Art at the Triveni Kala Sangam in the same city. She now resides and works in New Delhi and is representative of the newer generation of women artists experimenting with myriad forms and techniques that break away from the conventional mould. Tewari works predominantly with the female nude to convey the journey of a woman’s soul in quest of her identity. Essentially depicting a feminine world, her paintings show women in the process of unraveling the mysteries of their inner self while continuing to play their part in the mundane activities of everyday life.

Tewari has added new dimensions to her canvas, while retaining the themes that form the core of her art. "The sarees, and other clothes, and toy birds, are images culled from the everyday man-made material world and they are juxtaposed with the figure of the natural bird. But, most important, is the transition from creations of depth to a relative flatness; the intermingling of round and flat surfaces, which was always in my work due to the stark black background, now, becomes more complex. The focus is on color and the patterns created by placement of forms on the surface," says Tewari of the changes in her work.

An unusual part of her paintings is her willingness to borrow from other forms of art. She has spent time working with a mehndi (henna) artist from Gwalior and has incorporated many designs and ideas from this ancient art in her paintings. Combined, the two women produced a whole series of canvases using recurring patterns and motifs blended with figures symbolic of women from the various strata of society.

Tewari also associated with a sculptor from Bihar who was, at first, shocked by the nudes but soon learnt to expand her vision. When the partnerships ended, Tewari found that not only had the village artistes imbibed several ideas from her, but that she too had benefited from this exchange of cultures thereby enriching her paintings.

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Vasundhara Tewari