Indian Art : Madras

Traveling from Colombo to the nearest foreign city brings you to Chennai (or Madras). It is the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and the art scene is thriving. (this is in comparison: the Indians themselves think that the only art of importance happens in Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkota.
A gallery visit brought me to the Cholamandal Centre for Contemporary Art, where the Indigo & Laburnum Gallery presented Perspecta. The exhibition with work of 6 women artists, curated by collector Sanjay Tulsyan included work from Mithu Sen, Parvathi Nayar and Benitha Perciyal K.
In 2008 Benitha participated in an artist camp in Sri Lanka, and I instantly recognized her signature in the natural dyes, leaves, seeds and handmade paper.photo: within and without 2009 mixed media on paper mache- photo courtesy of Galerie 88

At the workshop in Hanthana, she had decorated a room in an abandoned house with teabags:

The work in Madras -where she is from- showed a more personal narrative. She uses her natural pigments from various plants and herbs to make images about self-exploration and personal events and stories. I was so pleasantly surprised to hear about her experience in Sri Lanka, of which not all an be repeated here. Let's just say that I hope some seeds of her talent and artistic maturity have been sown on Lanka soil and will come to bloom at some point!
photo: grow or you will remain a dead seed- 2009 mixed media on paper- photo courtesy of Gallery 88 and the artists