The Hindustan Times
HT Gurgaon Live Thursday, April 24, 2003

Harmony of Natural Hues

ART HAS been an expression of continuous evolvement and aesthetic satisfaction for celebrated painter Madhu Jain of Gurgaon. Having experimented with oils and acrylics for many years, Madhu discovered a whole new palette of natural hues as she successfully adapted the Japanese traditional style of painting; Nihonga that involves the use of rock mineral pigments on handmade paper.

Rajmata Gayatri Devi of Jaipur recently inaugurated Jain's exhibition of vibrant paintings titled Pathar ke Rangon Se at the Habiart Gallery IHC. Opened on April 18, the exhibition will be on till April 25th. Pathar ke Rangon Se exhibits the artists' love for Indian imagery and the rural life of India.

The thirty vibrant paintings are a tribute to the colorful life of Rajasthani folklore as she feeds the creative eye by painting images of camel, deserts, colorful peacocks, forts and village belles carrying pots of water from the riverside. "the choice of theme came naturally to me as I've been born and brought up in Jaipur,' avers Madhu.

"But moreover I felt the richness of this Japanese technique and brilliance of the pigments was apt in portraying the vivacity and diversity of our culture," she adds smilingly.

For madhu, her first glimpse of this eco-friendly medium was way back in 1994 on her trip to Japan. This nature-loving artist immediately bonded with the innumerable rock pigments derived from natural minerals, shells, corals and even semi-precious stones like the garnets coupled with so many gradations.

Madhu reveals, that these rock pigments originated in India centuries ago and it was the Japanese and Chinese who perfected the art. But to pursue her artistic dream of learning the art of Nihonga she toiled for nearly three-and-a half years in Japan.

She mastered the Japanese language, which helped her gain valuable insights on the different techniques of this medium. "knowing the language was like a boon as it helped me in interacting with the various artistes and the tutors of this art, who introduced me to many traditional concepts of Nihonga not mentioned in the books on this subject" she says.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of India-Japan Diplomatic Relations, a solo exhibition of her paintings was held in Tokyo in September 2002. Well life has been more than a colorful canvas for Jain.

As a true veteran of Japanese art, her creative pursuits do not cease at Nihonga. To further nurture the artiste in her, she also studied the Ikebana flower arrangement and Bonsai in Japan.