Imagine an amalgamation of reality and fantasy,one that speaks of the myriad moods of nature.Showing in Delhi after a long span ,Jayashree Chakravarty of Kolkata has brought to Vadehras a densely layered and textured set of works that are highly reminiscent of her native city of Kolkata. In her paintings, swirling organic forms overlap bustling artographically inspired images, as shadows and images slowly and subtly emerge through the dense, yet translucent, lines that produce the illusion of constant motion. Using a palette of white, blue, brown and black, Chakravarty establishes a magical dream — like atmosphere which is simultaneously absorbing and intimate, representing several places and several points at the same time — blurring the notion of time between past and present. The compositions become an interwoven memory, the product of the artists’ conscious and unconscious, creating a delightful and mesmerizing narrative of her life, travels and experiences.But this time she quotes the great German poet Rilke.
Chakravarty’s recent body of works has been inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke’s collection of ten letters, named Letters to a Young Poet. The title of the exhibition is borrowed from one of the letters, in which Rilke writes, “If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly noticeable, those things can unexpectedly become great and immeasurable.” Years ago in an interview to this critic she had said: “ Paperwork is a passion for me. I often use shimmering colors. That gives another kind of dimension. I am not afraid of using anything — clay, tea dust, acrylic. The footprints are mine. I just enjoy it. I do not like to follow something. I do not bother whether a work will last or not. What remains is what you can bring out of yourself.