Exhibition Of Paintings By Anna Korotkina: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS BY...

This week, Kalahita features an artiste all the way from Russia. Which, of course, means nothing. What stands out here is Anna. And her work.

The Kalahita Art Foundation is presenting an exhibition of water-color paintings titled "Where Light Settles", by Anna Korotkina, from 6th July. The exhibition showcases works that have been done indoors, within the confines of her room, and outdoors as well - in the villages surrounding Hyderabad, depicting village houses, carts loaded with hay, old archways, the Durgam Cheruvu and a few locations in the fort of Golconda.

One of the watercolors showcasing a lush green foreground with subtly suggested high-rises at a distance has been painted by the artist during her stay in Mumbai. A few watercolors painted outdoors in Russia show a distinct shift of the color palette to a grayish hue compared to the lighter tint visible in works painted in the Indian setting.

The sensitive observation of light, as it settles on objects is the most important feature that distinguishes Anna's watercolors. Water color as a medium is free-flowing, and spreads very fast and blends intricately. Anna tries to follow the nature of the medium rather than restricting it to a preconceived style.

Anna has formed her own expression by depicting the object of description by the light that defines it. The light in Anna's watercolors is essentially the whiteness of the paper retained even as the color is allowed to flow freely over a wet paper. This is also an academic practice noticed in the best of water colors, and requires adequate skill and practice to gain the right consistency of paint, the flourish of using the brush to transfer the immediacy of contact, and a sound knowledge of the construction of the object of depiction.

However Anna's brushwork lends a subtle quality to the paintings, as the color is made to spread through a brief contact between brush and paper creating soft smudges of paint. The contrasting depth lends a sense of volume and clarity to the image.

Anna Korotkina is from Kaliningrad, situated in the Western part of Russia. A student in the discipline of multimedia, in India, Anna devotes long hours to painting with watercolors, and has been successful in being able to create a style that is distinctly hers.

A selection of 72 paintings are being showcased in this exhibition, and is on view till the 19th of July. Please contact 2335-0543 for further details.