Nature On Canvas

Sushma Jain, 60, presented a series of paintings inspired by the unspoilt beauty of wildlife and landscapes, at her maiden solo exhibition recently. Jain talks to MARWAR about her passion for art and her artistic journey that began from childhood.

- Pooja Mujumdar

WHILE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTINUES to be a generally admired but fairly specialised medium for portraying nature, there is something to be said for art that does not just illustrate the reality of nature, but also gives you someone’s interpretation of it. Such art involves both skill and imagination, and Sushma Jain’s first solo exhibition titled ‘A Tale Untold’ that was held at Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai from August 22-27, 2018 had both of these.

The riveting canvasses, rendered in oil paint draw inspiration from the natural beauty of animals in the wild and verdant, pristine landscapes. The majority are based on photographs that Jain clicked with her camera during visits to national parks, forests and other charming locations across the world. She says, “This exhibition was an opportunity for me to present these beautiful wild animals in their natural environment and sensitise viewers to the importance of wildlife protection and conservation. Similarly, I wanted to present landscapes that are unspoilt, which again drive home the point of being conscious about our natural resources.”

Tracing her roots

Originally hailing from Churu in Rajasthan, Jain was born in Bankura, West Bengal in 1958. Her great-grand father, Jaidayal Goenka, was the founder of Gita Press, Gorakhpur (one of the largest publishers of Hindu religious books) and Gita Bhawan in Kolkata and Rishikesh. Jain reveals with pride, “He was famous for his