In her exhibition, The Moorings, artist Sasmita Mishra Sahu leads the viewer to a feeling of serenity and calm with the use of cool colours and pastels.
“All of the Caribbean islands are moorings. You think ships and canoes and boats, and moorings are where the ships come to rest. Generally, for the rest of the world, the Caribbean is a resting place. No one thinks this is Las Vegas but they think rest, going back to nature and soul searching.”
Sahu, 51, said lately her paintings tell stories that are relevant to her. The themes on which she wishes to focus dictate the colours she uses, and in turn, the colours and media she uses dictate whether a painting is fully abstract or if she will use some of the elements of the abstract style of painting.
“My artworks focus on the issues of identity in the unfortunate event of dislocation or otherwise. I am intrigued by the side of human nature to build a utopia amidst utter chaos. Following that tradition, I consider my paintings as the moorings to the dreamboat ride that life itself is.”
[caption id="attachment_912550" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Easter Sunday – The Moorings by Sasmita. - PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB[/caption]
As the wife of High Commissioner of India to Trinidad and Tobago, Arun Kumar Sahu, she has lived in several countries on diplomatic missions, and each new place has inspired her work. As such, the pieces in The Moorings were painted over six or seven years while in New Delhi, India; Ottawa, Canada; and Port of Spain, TT.
While she is inspired by the places she visits, she does not take the exact elements of the location. Rather, her work is filtered through her own Indian heritage. And, while her strength is in her use of colour rather than graphics, she finds the human body beautiful and incorporates figures in most of her work, along with aspects of nature including plants and animals.
For example, Forget-me-not is a painting of women sitting in a field painted in soft colours.
However, the theme is that of gender issues and the way, even in this day and age, males generally have more freedom to choose their career paths than females. Parents and guardians can be more protective of girls or limit their choices based on a variety of considerations, often stifling them, while boys are supported.
“I’m not the kind of person who demands my chance right now. You make your point, always say it aloud no matter what, but don’t expect things will change immediately and you can grab it. I don’t live in that.
[caption id="attachment_912546" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Sasmita Mishra Sahu alongside the pieces in her exhibition The Moorings at Horizon Art Gallery, Mucurapo Road, St James. Sasmita says her work is inspired by places she visits but reflects her Indian heritage.- PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB[/caption]
“I don’t believe in too much assertiveness or aggressiveness. I won’t stop saying what I want to do but I can wait. I can understand the process of change. So, that’s why my softer approach.”
She recalled during the first lockdown
