I was instinctively reminded of the wise words of painter and graphic artist“Combines” fame while conversing with her in the serene environs of the family’s Mysore country house facing the benevolent Kaveri river at dusk time, when the mind automatically turns inward.
“Painting relates to both art and life. Neither can be made. I try to act in that gap between the two.”
She is quiet and introspective, and you begin to know why only when you know her better. With her energy and enthusiasm intuitively preserved for visual expression, the economy of spoken words is understandably a collateral consequence.
Bhagya Ajaikumar’s artistic vision has organically evolved from disparate but transformative experiences - including the bi-cultural exposure to life and work in India and the United States; umpteen travel and trek expeditions to distant geographies and towering peaks; perceptive window to the world of cancer care, thanks to her oncologist and doctorpreneur husband; affinity for the classical Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam; and bagful of insights gained en route running grassroots empowerment programs for rural women.
No wonder, she has developed her defining style of layered visual narratives blessed with distinct form, rhythm, and identity, and with a ventilated room for just about every key element – tradition, innovation, unity, diversity, local, global, as also pathos, ethos, and logos. Her art is invariably a confluence of three art forms – photographs, live performance, and portraits - that create space for viewers to traverse between what is seen, sensed and imagined.
This cross-cultural fluency beautifully came about in her exhibition "Nrutya Kala Sanyogah" (Union of Dance and Art) on the banks of the Ganges, a divine merger of fine art and performing art. The project unleashed the classical dance form of Bharatanatyam with printmaking to create a unique immersive experience.
Her unwavering commitment to sustainability is another defining feature of her work. In an art form historically dependent on toxic chemicals, she is adopting non-toxic printmaking methods as an integral part of her artistic philosophy, a commitment that extends beyond her studio. As an art educator, she actively guides students toward cleaner and safer printmaking practices. Her establishment of a new printmaking facility in Bangalore represents a significant contribution to sustainable art production in India, creating a space where local artists can work with international standards of both quality and environmental responsibility.
Her art is not created in isolation but in dialogue with other artists, with students, and with the urgent questions of our time. She seeks opportunities for creative dialogue and cross-mentorship with international artists, recognizing that innovation often emerges from exchange. Her goals include developing portfolios of new work in etching, photogravure, and mixed-media printmaking, presenting solo exhibitions, and most importantly, sharing her knowledge through lectures and workshops.
We need more artists like her who subliminally live by what the great philosopher Hegel aptly observed, and without making any claims to that effect:
“Truth is found neither in the thesis nor the antithesis, but in an emergent synthesis which reconciles the two.”
More about Bhagya Ajaikumar
Director - Swasti Contemporary Art Gallery instagram.com/swasti_
Guest Faculty, Dept. of Visual Arts, Bangalore University
President, Art Park Bengaluru instagram.com/artpark_
Co- president: Terrain Exhibitions, Chicago, USA
https://terrainexhibitions.
https://www.facebook.com/
ihdua.org instgm: ihduadigita