From figurative to abstracts: NY-based Indian artist exhibits

New York-based Indian artist Tara Sabarwhal has always had a knack for figurative art, that is, until she introspected and found inspiration in the vicissitudes of her own life.
Thus, began her journey with abstracts.
Her first collection of abstract art -- a series of 23 paintings -- was recently showcased at an exhibition, "The Open Window" at the Art Alive Gallery here.
Through the work, she attempted to portray her journey of outward exploration and inward examination without having a defining subject to fall back on, something she said she had never done before.
"I was earlier engaging in a story before painting on canvas. The present body of work supersedes that as these works represent layers of instances that have happened in my own life as an artist.

"When I thought of shifting from figurative art, I tried to access a certain part of my inner self which was beyond any narrative," 60-year-old Tara said.

The uniqueness of the exhibited works lay in the fact that they need not be viewed in any specific spacial orientation -- horizontally or vertically -- to be appreciated.
In vibrant hues of reds, pinks, yellows and blues, Tara's works shed light on the visible shift -- from drawings, to prints and paintings -- in her artistic choices.
But, Tara said she wanted her viewers to interpret her works in their own way.

"These works are an open window of awareness. I do not want to present a thought or tell someone else what I want to say through my paintings. Rather I want people to derive meaning from my work themselves," she said.
With an artistic career spanning over 40 years, Tara said she had discovered her passion for art at a very young age.
The exhibition also marked a return to the freedom she felt as a child.
"I set my brush free, and through a process of spontaneous mark making, observe my thoughts until my mind begins to shut down.

"As I paint, a moving world of colours and shapes emerge and dissolve at an open window, transcribing the unseen, unknown within," she said.