Bonds of women

"VIOLENCE AND Silence'' is an apt title for many of the charcoal drawings by Sajitha Shankar, who portrays the silent sufferings undergone by women in their lives. The large drawings show women in various bonds with men, other women and children. The bold strokes add to the intrinsic messages in them. The tenderness and the wonder felt by a young woman with her first newborn baby and her old mother near her speak volumes. A panel portrays the relationships that a woman entertains from birth to death. Many of the elements are erotic, but in a profound way, conveying the importance of man-woman relationship. Woman's sexuality and the way she gets exploited as a sex object are depicted most powerfully. She even touches on the issue of women selling their fertility through the internet and how despicable it is! Many of the imageries are somewhat autobiographical.

Sajitha has used the medium of charcoal effectively achieving some interesting textural variations in some of the drawings.

Sajithahad met Noella Roos at an art camp in Sri Lanka and had invited her to Chennai to her studio. Noella's subject is the highly animated physique of a man as he goes through modern dance movements.

Shehas sketched in charcoal the various poses bringing out the muscular body in dramatic animation most effectively; the drawings reveal her quick grasp of the rather swift movements.

Someof the drawings have been done by both Sajitha and Noella together, where the powerful images merge while at the same time revealing the individual styles.

Thedrawings are on show at the Lalit Kala Akademi till October 5, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

There will also be theatre and dance performances on some of the evenings.

LAKSHMI VENKATRAMAN

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