Art is fertile, poetic, evocative and intuitive. Art externalizes the speech of the inner voice and resonates with our deepest self. Art moves us in a myriad different ways. On February 4, at 6 p.m. Indian Women’s Association will present an art exhibition with a difference at the Dar El Cid in Jabriya. The exhibition will present two medical professionals in Kuwait bound by the creative vocabulary of art, drawn to it by their intrinsic sense of beauty. The exhibition will allow Dr Tahseen Khan and Dr Anupama Arora Mallik, both women of many parts an opportunity to present their artistry, which, notwithstanding their unique styles and impulses uses the painted surface as a metaphoric screen on which genres and medium intermingle, morph and sometimes collide. The exhibition will be inaugurated by Sami Mohammed, a pioneer in contemporary art in Kuwait, and the Middle East. The show will be open for viewing on Feb 5th and 6th from 10 am to 1 pm, and from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Dr Tahseen Khan is a multifaceted woman. She is a painter, jewelry maker, polymer clay artist, and an art teacher. A neonatologist with the Jahra Hospital, she is also Vice-President of the Indian Women’s Association, a nonprofit organization that supports the community since its inception in 1998.An accomplished visual artist, Tahseen silently and unobtrusively continued to paint until she had her first major exhibition in 2011. Her second solo exhibition titled ‘Be the Change’ was held in 2012 at Bayt Lothan.

Tehseen’s paintings are narratives; they are richly textured and have an evocative quality. Most of her works centre on rural life in India, highlighting the role played by women. “Impressions of childhood play an enormous role in shaping one’s personality,” explains Tahseen. “Education may have widened horizons, but deep down the imprints on the formative mind shape one’s character. In most of my paintings, I try to capture the magic of those moments in the suburbs of Madurai. I attempt to relive the escapades in a bullock cart with my mother or bargaining in the local market for flowers. Since I come from a very conservative background, where education for women was frowned upon, I feel truly blessed that my parents provided me with the necessary strength to build myself a career. I suppose this emotion seeps through instinctively while depicting women in different moods.”

Painting for Tahseen is a passion that allows her to de-stress from the hectic strains of her professional responsibilities. She has an intuitional approach to her art. “I try to capture whatever touches me. Whether it is a beautiful landscape or a strong emotion, I want to capture the essence in a bottle to sniff whenever I want, and the only way I can do that is by using paint on canvas.”

Tahseen inherited her artistic sensibilities from her mother, but academic pursuits were prioritized, and for years, her talent lay dormant. It is in the past two decades that she began to explore her artistic side with an eclectic choice of colours and interesting textures. She also continued to upgrade her skills. Speaking of her growth as a painter, she observes, “Over the years, I have progressed and become more self-assured and the themes of my paintings reflect my confidence. With the experience and the help of training from master painters like Susan Saraback, I am able to express myself boldly, and I believe a style of my own has emerged.”

Tahseen refuses to be limited by the mere grammar of surface and styles. Over the years, she has explored different styles and mediums to capture the intangible sensibilities of the landscapes and models. Her works reflect her sensitive and emphatic use of colour and form to express emotion. “What inspires me most is the play of colour and light in my subjects.”

Apart from indulging in creative pursuits, Tahseen also seeks fulfillment in teaching art. “Sharing my passion with children is especially rewarding. I am able to relive their amazement and pleasure of discovering new delights of life. I allow them to express themselves with whatever way they choose, painting, crafts or multimedia, I just facilitate their natural curiosity by instructing them on various mediums and tricks at their disposal.” On February 4, Dr Tahseen Khan will showcase her work in an exhibition titled ‘Tides of Life’ at the Dar El Cid. For more information on Dr Tahseen Khan’s work log on to www.zeraah.com.

Like Dr Tahseen, Dr Anupama Arora Mallik is a self-taught artist for whom painting is a sublime way of losing herself in the play of colours. She says, “Painting is a great form of relaxation, and I like to lose myself in the maze of colors experiencing a thrill as the colors take shape.” February 4 is a special day for Anupama. On that day for the first time the sensible and sensitive Dr Mallik, Consultant Pathologist at Al-Jahra Hospital will showcase her artwork in a presentation titled ‘Expressions through colours’.

An artist by nature rather than by training, Anupama grew up with the smell of paint at home. In her words, “Painting started as a hobby during childhood, dabbling solely in watercolors guided by the expertise of my mother. “ While in High School, she discovered the magic of oil paints, and then there was no looking back. She continued to experiment with colours in medical school, and through motherhood. But she is quick to point out, “Although painting is my hobby, I have always approached it with the commitment of a professional.” Looking back at her artistic journey, Anupama recalls, “ I was doing mainly realistic paintings. Sometime in 2008, I tried putting thicker paints on canvas highlighting a particular part of the painting. A couple of years ago, I started using the palette knife to create some of my art pieces. Recently, my indulgence into abstract painting has expanded my realm. Last year, I did a mural in my new apartment and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I believe I am still evolving as an artist and hope to continue to do so.”

Although Anupama has been painting for a long time, her professional commitments, and maternal responsibilities had her painting in spurts. For a long time, she produced only occasional work. But a few years back, something changed. She found herself fired by a passion that she felt almost powerless to control. It was as if images had been accumulating inside her, and they had to be expressed. And, so most evenings after work, she would paint, pour out her thoughts, emotions and visions onto the canvas. It was one of the most stimulating and exhilarating moments in her life. Painting energized her and charged her soul. “ In due course of balancing a medical career and home my hobby turned into passion as I found myself capturing nature on canvas, marveling at the ease and versatility of oil paints, the flexibility in merging colors and the spontaneity of the brush strokes.”

A nature enthusiast, Anupama derives her visual information and inspiration from it, at times departing into abstraction. Most of her paintings have a story to narrate, both personal, and universal. “Painting landscapes is my forte. Nature inspires me,” she continues. “Most of my paintings have a story. Some represent a particular phase in life, for instance when I was expecting my first child or when I was trying to stay busy while waiting for my appointment papers in Kuwait or I wanted to capture the beauty of a particular place on canvas and lose myself in the weave of colors.”

Through bold, vivid imagery, Anupama depicts a broad range of subjects including landscapes, nature, abstracts and semi abstracts. “Abstraction unleashes the creativity in an artist,” she notes. “Recently, I have let my imagination flow creating semi-abstract pieces that