Submerged - Paintings inspired by Gulzar Sahab's Poetry - Solo Show

Minjal Mukhija

This art show has meant more to me than I can describe for very many reasons. I am especially indebted to Gulzar sa’ab for showering me with his grace and being a constant guiding star for me.

During my growing up days Gulzar sa’ab’s poetry, song’s and short stories kept me enticed. I still remember, when I was in college one of my dear friend gifted me one of his book as my birthday present.
The book was “Raat Pashmine Ki”. It was the first book by Gulzar sa’ab I had ever read. The brilliance of his words engulfed me completely.
I almost purchased all his books which were published by then and looked forward to reading all the books that he would release.
One book followed another and I unconditionally surrendered to each book reading the poems repeatedly, and that’s how a wonderful journey with his poetry began.

While reading his poems my imagination would get so strong that I would get transported to a place where images floated around me creating a visual story of its own. It was a fairly inclusive and a beautiful process where one imagery followed another forming into a sequence where I would experience viewing the entire poetry in visuals. There was an intensifying urge of putting it on paper.

What followed was me trying to condense these moving visuals and consolidating them into one single sketch.
I would frantically sketch on my stark archival paper for hours on length.
Once the sketch was complete I would work choosily on the color palette.
Completely soaked in color I would gently keep blending the paints onto the paper, till the wee hours of the morning.
All drenched, I surrendered into the entire process not knowing what return was in store.

In the year 2015, I had the privilege or fortune to meet with Gulzar sa’ab and show him a few of my works for the very first time. I remember how he had not approved of a few of my works at first and had told me to continue working on my paintings and visit him with my new works after a year.

During that time I had been on a self-exploratory journey and was earnest to bring out the best into my work. All I wanted to do was to push myself out of my comfort zone and have life speak to me. That grit remained in me.

I met Gulzar sa’ab again with my new works after a year and a half. 

It was then that he liked my paintings and permitted me to work with his poems. I will forever cherish the memories of a special time when Gulzar sa’ab permitted me to work with his poems.

As a seeker, his poetry is so valuable to me that I can’t help but surrender. Each poem opens up like an oyster, the pearl entices me, and the colors flow. Nature being the source of my painting I have tried to interpret reality abstractly the way I experienced it. I have attempted different styles of texturing and have used a wide range of pigments.

This show is a celebration of all the shades of Gulzar sa’ab’s poetry, which has been so vibrantly alive. A journey through life that I explored through his poems. These oil and watercolor paintings are just an expression of the profoundness of my experience. Gulzar sa’ab’s work is so vast, that I cannot grapple or grasp it all and so my journey continues.
Hope you all will be as my fellow travelers in this vibrantly alive journey of poetry, painting, and life…