Realm I Painting

Artist Statement - Over the last 8 years, Srishti Rana Menon has transitioned from a textile based practice to that of a painter. Srishti’s work can broadly be considered as abstract expressionist in nature. Her work originates from an internal urge to connect to the subconscious. Srishti believes that both before and after existence, is non-existence. There is a universe within us that is a reflection of the ever changing, throbbing cosmos outside us. The reality of all things is one of non-being, or formlessness. There are no boundaries anywhere apart from those we perceive. Having roots in India along with exposure to art school in the UK and Europe, her work is grounded, yet contemporary and modern. Her work draws a lot from the Western influences, artists, museums all of which she fell in love with while studying. Her search for the core, for truth, for beauty and elegance extends to her canvases. Her paintings are delicate, ethereal, mystical and of a world beyond. She does away with recognisable imagery and narrative, focusing instead on a highly intuitive process that unravels on the canvas to produce her own stories in abstraction. Srishti's art practise is mainly concerned with exploring and questioning the inherent nature of the medium at hand. She likes to explore the qualities of paint itself, like colour, the amount of pigment, nature of different pigments, the flow of the medium, the shapes it forms naturally, the centre of gravity of the canvas, etc. Srishti focuses her energies on the first mark, while the next mark is a careful reaction to the preceding action. She also works with paints, pigments and mediums, at times letting them free, gently nudging them and sometimes totally letting go. It is a long and patient process for her. Her work is also a reaction to the extremely aggressive and harsh world we live in today, so she tries to find a semblance of peace through her work. The paintings also draw from personal experiences, emotions, stories and meditations. Her work is inspired by post-war American abstract expressionists like Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis. Mark Rothko and Cy Twombly are also major influences. Srishti asks the viewer to let go and look at her work devoid of any narrative, rely on instinct and feeling alone to experience it. She urges the viewer towards an emotional response through the colours and luminous forms in her paintings, across time and space.