Capturing nature on canvas

Artist Manish Chavda’s ongoing exhibition in Bengaluru captures the healing power of nature

Manish Chavda, who originally hails from Jamnagar, has been living in Ahmedabad the past six years. He says he dreamt of becoming an artist since he was 14 years old. “The older I grew, the more drawn I was towards art and determined to make a living out of it,” says Manish, who has won awards like the 112th All India Annual Art Exhibition (The Bombay Art Society in 2004), Gujarat State Lalitkala Academy award and Shree Manekba Silver Medal Sheth CN Vidhyalaya, Ahmedabad, both in 2002.

“When I was younger, I never thought about how I would make my living through art. It was just art that I was passionate about. But, as I grew older, I discovered that this path was one of a struggle,” shares the 46-year-old Manish, speaking from Kynkyny Art gallery, where his solo-show is underway.

The struggle, says the artist trained in Ahmedabad Fine Arts College, did not last long. “My work was recognised and I got ample platforms to showcase my art. Even as I was studying art, I was tied up with an art gallery in Mumbai that started showcasing my works. In 2005, I had my first solo show in Jehangir Art Gallery. These helped pave the way for me and as soon as I was done with art college, my career as an artist picked up.”

Manish says he has had few solo shows as one needs to create a lot of art works for them. “I do try and have one or two solo shows every year, but most of the time, it is group shows.” At Kynkyny Art Gallery, 17 works of his works are on display. The oils on canvas capture brightly pigmented birds and ethereal landscapes. “The subtle colours evoke a sense of peace, spaciousness, and calm, transcending the boundaries of space and perception”.

The collection is based entirely on nature and birds. Though he specialized in portraits during his final years of art study, Manish says, “I have painted a lot of portraits, which did bring me recognition. I painted reality, capturing moods and people at traffic signals, life on the streets and so on. This collection, however, depicts nature and has a personal touch.”

Manish started working on the series after an incident. “I had applied for a masters in art to a particular college and I was not selected despite having won a few awards. I tried for admissions again and was rejected again. This led me into depression. I stopped painting completely. I did not hold a pencil for months. I did, however, spend a lot of time in gardens. Gradually I started focussing on the leaves, birds, squirrels.”

Manish felt his mind healing as he observed nature. “That is when I decided to start painting nature as this is my way of telling people not to disconnect themselves with nature as it has healing power. And this collection of art is my tribute to nature.”