The laadli series depicts Indian women who dream of freedom. Artist Rangoli Garg spoke to GANITA about her muse in everydayness
When you first look at her artworks, you notice calm and shy girls peeking at you. Rangoli Garg has Indian girls in all her works who contemplate a land of completeness in their dreams. They dream of freedom. She has her own distinct style of working in acrylics, and her canvasses play with subtle and bright hues. She plays with very bright colors as they denote the vibrancy of the country.
In her solo show titled ladli at Open Farm, Indian Habitat Centre, she had depicted girls hiding and peeping in their beautiful home as their potential waits to be fully sought. She lurks behind the pillars and doors and her shyness ornaments her entire existence. The home is inspired by the beauty and magnificence of the Taj Mahal.
The artist is mesmerized by the arches, pillars, motifs, lattice and the very existence of this beautiful monument which is the symbol of love and is an ode to an Indian woman. laadli is a shy, attractive, doe-eyed Indian girl who dreams of an era of completeness for herself. This series of paintings depict the various moods, emotions, feelings, aspirations and the life of a young Indian lady. When asked about the theme she said, “As the name signifies laadli is a favourite girl child. But in India, she is not living her life fully. It is a life of her dreams that she seeks, where there is independence to fulfil her aspirations.”
Her senses were always moved by the treatment of girl child in India and this became an inspiration to paint. The women in her paintings dream of freedom which they might never attain. The portrayl is poetic and dialogues with the intensity of narration of an Indian tale. In one family there is freedom for women while in other there are restrictions. Some women are already on the path of glory while some are looking at them from their homes. “It is the story of every other Indian household. I have not experienced it, but I have witnessed it. If it’s not my story, it’s my neighbour’s story,” added Rangoli explaining the theme.
She thinks that a lot of potential and talent is hidden in Indian women. But most of them are not able to show it to the world. “They are shy and inhibited to bring their talent out. That needs motivation or at least a thought. This is what I have showed in my works. I always paint Indian girls,” she said.
When asked about her distinct style of working with acrylics on canvas she said that she loves doing very fine lines and using vibrant colours on canvas. She is very passionate about painting. For her art is meditation. She feels that art is a very pure form of communication and should be understood by everyone. “My work is like a prayer for me. I lose myself when I paint exactly the way one would lose oneself into a prayer or meditation,” she said. Rangoli is a graduate in Economics and English literature and Post graduate in Business administration. She was an entrepreneur before she started her journey as an artist around five years ago. A very artistic hand helped her to move ahead. “When I create, I am happy! It is simple to move on my journey as I am very passionate about creating. A day of creation is a day well lived,” she shared.
The artist has been living in Hyedrabad since nine years. Her will to portray Indian women gives her subject to paint. This is her eighth solo show. She has done many solo and group shows in Hyedrabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Delhi and Dubai. When asked about her dream project she said, “I want to exhibit in different parts of the world and spread my art and message to everyone out there. ‘Indian women can achieve a lot but they are still hiding!’”