Rang

Sundaram Tagore Gallery Feb 24 to Mar 28

Natvar Bhavsar, best known for his pure-pigment paintings, says colours are like sounds that reverberate with rhythm. The New York-based Indian artist says that over the past 50 years he has created art that investigates the 'power and the possibilities' of colour.

'I believe that colours emanate silence and poetic reverberations,' he says. 'They contain an unfathomably rich visual poetry. Through the patient exploration of colour, I have been rewarded with countless rhythms.'

In his latest exhibition, Rang, opening at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery next Wednesday, he further explores the subtle energy of colours. According to the artist, the Sanskrit word rang (being in ecstasy, being devoted to ecstasy, and being free) is an expression that resonates strongly with his work. He celebrates freedom with his paintings, just as dervishes, Bharatanatyam dancers and Sufis do in their own ways.

'In my own process of creating art, I have always been drawn to spatial reverberations,' Bhavsar (above) says.

'My process is similar to taking a walk in the wilderness, where one's being comes into union with nature. I often use the languages of poetry and music to express my understanding of the energy that colours possess.

'Colours engage you fully, lead to freedom and create a sublime world that is deeply fulfilling.'