Artist Ruchi Chadha talks to Ila Sankrityayan about the relation between philosophy of life and the lotus and why it inspires her
For artist Ruchi Chadha, the lotus holds a special place in her bed of childhood memories, starting from scribbling it on her notebook or drawing the flower on the table. Her excitement grew manifold every time she tried to discover what lay beneath its leaves or what never stops the lotus from rising through adversity, opening its petals and blossoming in the sun.
Intrigued by the lotus flowers, the artist presents these works in her solo show that will begin from September 15 at Convention Foyer, IHC. But why only lotusIJ Says she, “For me it symbolises life. I practise the lotus Sutra. Its Buddha’s ultimate teaching. Since childhood I had been drawn towards lotus but little did I know the connection with Buddhism. When I started practising Buddhism, I realised the connectivity. lotus is the only flower that blooms and becomes a fruit at the same time. It reflects life; whatever causes we are creating in our life are, in turn, creating our karma. So we have to be like the lotus flower, blooming amid dirty water but still unsoiled, radiant, pure and blissful”.
In Buddhism, the bud of the lotus symbolises potential. Similarly, the lotus flower in her paintings represents an awakening, spiritual growth and enlightenment. Just as it emerges from the water clean, the lotus also represents purity of body, speech and mind. The lotus could be thought of as an awakened mind, which grows naturally toward the warmth and light of truth, love and compassion. The lotus may appear fragile on the surface but it is flexible and strong, securely anchored under the surface of the water.
What makes her works more appealing is the way she has presented the flower. It blossoms with green leaves floating on the water. Nowhere in her paintings will you find a dead weed or anything that depicts sadness. “All of my paintings are inspired by life. There is already too much of confusion or chaos in this world. So for me paintings are refreshing. When you are sad, a beautiful artwork can bring smile on your face or light you up. Paintings should never be depressing”, adds Ruchi .
The varied hues in her artworks symbolise various phases of life. She says, “The yellow represents the age of a learned person, aged yet enlightened, from all the experiences in your life. The floating leaves represent that one should always keep on striving forward in life to aim towards the sky, never ever giving up hope. leave behind your “self,” be humble and magnificent. Scattering means moving forward in life towards your goals in your own unique way. lotus opens with the rising sun and sleeps in the night. Such is life. We are born in this world as the rising sun and when our work is finished we leave it as the sun sets.”
Over the years the artist has experimented with a variety of media — oils, water colours, poster paints, charcoal, pen and ink and acrylics. She never confined herself to one medium as she feels, “For an artist, it is very essential to learn and keep on trying different media. I think it is a process of learning and growing altogether. One has to be experimental yet maintain uniqueness in your works to make it different. It took me a year to complete the works for the exhibition.”
Ruchi has done her graduation from College of Arts, New Delhi. Sharing her journey as an artist, she says, “I have been drawn towards nature since childhood, playing in the garden, chasing butterflies and watching landscapes and trees running by from a moving train. Also I was curious to watch the rising and setting of sun, how nature changes and brings forth beautiful colours. It’s simple yet complex. This has all inspired me to paint, to draw with intricate details. For me expression came in the form of colours.”