COLOURS OF LIFE

NAGUESH  RAO  SARDESSAI

Riot of colours and eclectic style greets one at the Gallery Gitanjali, Fontainhas. Dr. Vijay Sahgal’s exhibition of paintings titled ‘Colours of Life’ has truly infused gallery space with multiple hues. Opening today at the gallery, these paintings celebrate not just nature, that is so carefully brought alive, but life in totality.

A retired orthopedic surgeon, Vijay remembers spending major portion of his waking hours playing with colours, sketching whatever fancied him or even drawing from imagination. At fourteen, whilst he was studying at the Doon School, Dehra Dun, he found a mentor in - Rathin Mitra - his art teacher.

As a young student, Vijay won laurels that enabled him to develop necessary confidence. ‘My first painting “Lull before the Storm” earned me a gold medal at the national level which was followed by another one soon after,’ says Vijay with pride.

If as a brilliant surgeon he specializes in joint replacements, Vijay as an artist replaces tangible reality with creative supplements that spurts out of his ingenious mind. His simple looking paintings are a bundle of potentialities. Man of scalpels with an eye for details, Vijay assimilates environmental nuances to transform them into work of art.

Vijay journey from India, from where he completed his MBBS, to UK for higher education and professional practice has made him a man with wide knowledge and experience. Visiting art galleries and speaking to artists in UK during his stay there, that spanned several significant years, Vijay added gist to his passion. He had a stint in Gulf in the intermediate period. A keen photographer, Vijay spends considerable time honing his skill and capturing the beauty in nature, for posterity.

Eager to touch every limbs of art and fascinated by multiple possibilities, he continues exploring. A nature lover, Vijay, one fine day, packed his bag and traveled to Japan to acquaint himself the possibilities found in the making of ‘Bonsai’.

Vijay has now made Goa his home and loves every bit of it. Not to rest for a minute, he practices medicine at a charitable hospital in Candolim.

‘Colours of Life’ will have thirty odd paintings with each vying for attention. Largely self- taught, Vijay has done a commendable job. He has been influenced by artists around the world from Monet to Van Gogh to M F Hussain and as such, having assimilated this variety, displays an eclectic mix of styles and genre. Large sized paintings done with oil on canvas overwhelm at times. The fearless and bold palette knife strokes exude raw energy. From personalities such as Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa to lush greenery of Himachal Pradesh and Flowers from Uttarakhand come alive through his works. Rural houses, riverbanks, village life inspires Vijay.

Most of his paintings have a modern context. Few of the pieces are brilliantly composed that would startle a professional art practitioner.

He has exhibited in group & solo exhibitions in Chandigarh and the UK.

This show will be on view till December 22.

The exhibition will be opened on 20th December 2013 at 6.30pm by Sir Mark Tully, the former Bureau Chief of BBC, New Delhi.