Marie Dias Arora to show her recent works on paper, “Inner Terrains,”at the Galerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Française de Delhi, 72 Lodi Estate, New Delhi from December 4th to 9th, 2015 on view daily 11am to 7pm
Marie Dias Arora presents her recent works in the exhibition “Inner Terrains”, a solo show of drawings in ink and mixed media on paper, in collaboration with the Alliance Française de Delhi. The works are largely inspired by the organic and evocative patterns in nature- entangled roots and branches, sea, sand and cliff. Some draw from her inner emotional life- from memories of childhood and from experiences like birth and death.
This body of work, created over the last four years, uses Japanese ink brush-pens, fine artist pens and pastel. The visual language expresses a balance between freedom and control. And so the initial free and fluid brush strokes of the composition develop into a complex layered textural image. The textural quality reflects her training in etching in Paris under master printmakers Krishna Reddy and William Hayter. In some works the artist’s experience over the decades as a painter and water-colourist also surface.
Born in 1946, into a family which traces its origins to Bardez in Goa, Marie grew up in Mumbai, where she studied painting at the JJ School of Art (1963-64). She then moved to the Delhi College of Art, from where she graduated in 1968. She was awarded a French Government scholarship to study etching under William Hayter and Krishna Reddy at the Atelier Seventeen (1969-72). She later returned to work in Paris at the Graphics Atelier of the Cite Internationale des Arts in 1983.
She had her first solo show of portraits at Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi (1967) which was reviewed by Charles Fabri and Richard Bartholomew. She has also had solo shows of etchings at the Cite des Arts, Paris (1970-72), the Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta (1973) and the Alliance Française de Delhi (1974).
Marie’s work has been exhibited many times in the Lalit Kala National Exhibition of Art. She was awarded the AIFACS Painting Award in 1978. She has worked in various mediums including oils, watercolour, etchings and drawings. She also taught Art at Modern School Vasant Vihar from 1975 to 2003. During this period, she participated in several group shows as well as art camps in Goa and Garhi, Delhi which were organised by Altaf and Navjot, Vivan Sundaram and Krishna Reddy.
Her works feature in institutional collections such as the Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta. They are also in several private collections in India and abroad. She lives and works in Delhi.
Speaking about “Inner Terrains” the artist says, “The works come from my inner emotional space – so nature becomes the medium through which I express my emotions. They reflect subjects which are close to my heart.”
At Galerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Française de Delhi. 72 Lodi Estate, New Delhi – 110003. Exhibition on view 4th to 9th December 2015. 11am to 7pm. Open all days. Entry is free. Tel. (011) 43500200
