Dileep Sharma’s latest oeuvre, ‘Valley of Flowers’, celebrates the intricate bond between nature and humans; cocooning this communion in the realms of a background that resonate poise and eloquence is a unique aspect which he has not created or captured before. ‘Valley of Flowers’ extracts the essence of beauty that cannot be replicated but only translated, etching a vibration on paper with the fluidity of water colours which is untarnished and unassailable. This phase represents the dimensional shift in the artist’s intellectual process, replacing the robust with a tender approach. His colour composition and motifs have undergone a mutation of sorts, with impressions of his original DNA imprints still intact. The theme is prolonged and extended with ease, just as the seasons revolve and settle, each painting brings to surface the essence of life and the authority of nature. Dileep further immortalises the accomplishment of humans by depicting man-made wonders in all their glory and a deep rooted thought which culminates in a form of imagery.
Amongst all the floral motifs painted in the latest oeuvre, Harsingar flower that hails from Jasmine family has always inspired and motivated Dileep to carve his way into the valley of flowers as it brings back memories of his home town and childhood curiosity. The image of this flower bloomed while he was creating his first self-portrait titled, ‘When Kunwarji was in J.J’ (1998), to symbolize attachment and yearning for his home town while he was studying in J.J School of Art in Mumbai. Thereafter, he has constantly incorporated this motif in a very intriguing and discreet manner, in a print form or as an abstract element in various creations. However, in this show he has resurrected the motif in all its glory; Harsingar in this series reflects his traits of projecting the woman protagonist with strength and awareness of herself. He further incorporates an element of a reverberating sunset to replenish the memories of his home town within it. The colour wash technique provides a unique visual experience and successfully leaves a blissful trail of fragrance within the viewer.
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| Dileep Shrma |
Another motif that has evolved throughout his artistic voyage is his alter ego “Kunwarji”. In the work titled, ‘Datura’, it has been brought to life as a disciple of Shiva, governed by the spiritual light and power. The intense and potent back composed of Datura flower and the hypothetic intricate web layout surrounding it generates momentum, signifying the evolution of “kunwarji” as a true vital being who is wide, vast, calm, strong, without limitations, firm, immovable, capable of all power and all knowledge. “Kunwarji” becomes a divine warrior, pure and perfect; now in it is an instrumental force for deftly translating the creations of Nature in complete synchrony of geometry.
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| "Rose" from valley of flowers |
In ‘Bloom’, the artist flaunts his workmanship by allotting every minute attention to the detailing facet of the spectacular architectural background and narrating the story with his unique visual dialect. Tender treatment of the flow and form of the architectural background is in accordance to the majestic sight, however, a careful observation reveals that the motifs represents contemporary in a gestural manner. Fusion of the fundamental design structure of the historical place with playful elements of the present tells a story of transformation. The flower too, melodiously blooms from within the protagonist and they blend into each other’s existences.
‘Hibiscus’ gently like a gush of wind brings forth the background, visually and intellectually. Hibiscus flowers are intricately arranged within the protagonist, elegantly forming her tensed legs. While playfully capturing the character, she is teased by a passing breeze, and the essence of Hawa Mahal is established. The rare feeling of a fleeting moment of companionship, which the woman shares with the place and the passing breeze is transferred and resonates within the viewer. The pencil sketch exuberate a wonderful contrast, just like air, pure and expansive.
With another work titled, ‘Forget me not’, the artist pushes us to decipher the emotions of the historical monuments which reside in the innumerable memories of the myriads of visitors they welcome. A tourist gracefully poses with Taj Mahal in the background; the longing request of the traveller that her memory is kept alive within the realms of its structure is communicated, emphasising the fact that we all live and are alive only in memories. The skyline is engaged in an internal battle to attain perfection. ‘Forget me not’ is nostalgic and emotes the phenomena of memories with a tinge of an inevitable pain of separation.
Whether it is ‘Orchid’, ‘Bougainvillea’, ‘African Daisy’, or any other work in this oeuvre, the protagonists are empowered to float in air, suspended in sheer ecstasy, inviting the viewer to experience the same weightlessness which the flowers have imparted to the ones whose body they possess, liberating them and at the same time consent fully imprisoning them. Almost transcending in a devotional state of mind, the flowers worship the one beholding them and in return the protagonist completely surrender themselves, one with the flower’s prayer. With the colours of the flowers iridescently sprawling throughout the background, the emergence and relevance of the backgrounds have a natural flow, instilling a sense of completeness within each story. Dileep swiftly transcends through melodies, monuments, moments, memories & motifs, guiding us through the journey in his ‘Valley of Flowers’. ‘Valley of Flowers’ is a diachronic milestone in his artistic voyage, making it nothing short of a metamorphosis.
‘The Muse’
‘The Muse’ is a fibre glass sculpture of a perfectly beautiful woman standing on the lotus flower that immortalises the relationship between the muse and the artist. According to Dileep, a muse doesn’t just mean a beautiful woman but it is an active and a powerful inspiration that penetrate into the artist to bring forth a work from the womb of his mind. The artist’s admiration for the purity, perfection, elegance, beauty and grace of the muse is literally moulded into reality through this sculpture. It exuberate the eloquence of the muse, who fearlessly surrenders herself during the process of creation with hopes that through the creation which will be born, the existence of her artist will be etched in time forever. The artist truly dedicates this sculpture to the spirit, selflessness and the poised perseverance of a muse.
‘The Artist’
Dileep dedicates this sculpture to all the artists, to that fragment of dedication, devotion and madness within us all. ‘The Artist’ is depicted lying on his most essential tool – the pencil. This degree of devotion and madness is what the artist goes through. They walk barefoot on the edgy sword of their art, unaware of what the future has in store for them; all they are aware of is that whilst they walk they have to maintain complete balance and hope that they don’t slip, cutting themselves into two. The essence of the artist is contained, within the vicinity of their creations. Their creations which they procreate in unison with emotions and nature, is then stored in a museum or is in the possession of the collector, however there is a part of the artist which is fused within the pages of a book, the surface of paper or canvas, within the curves of a sculpture, the eccentricity of an instillation, the melody of music, or a tear of an actor. The mediums are variable but the fixed constant is the will walk of death or glory they embark upon, all for the sake of art, all for the sake to express and share.
