Delhi-based artist navigates through art and the world

When we travel, we often see a new perspective of life. For a creative soul, this also reflects on their canvas. The word, navigation hence plays a major inspiration for Delhi-based artist Shashi Tripathi. Her works were recently showcased at a group exhibition, Eclectic Melange, at the Nehru Centre in London, and she shares, “A while ago, I was working around the philosophy of how we navigate through life. How we all have a GPS inside us, the fact that we know where we’re headed and what we want to do.” This formed the basis of her thought process.

From animals and their sense of inner navigation to humans, the theme permeates through most of her works. Tripathi, who is working as a full-time artist at Triveni Kala Sangam, incorporates elements that inspire her deeply. “In three years, I’ve shifted thrice. First, I was in Vizag (Visakhapatnam), then Kerala, and thereafter I shifted to Delhi… As I kept moving, different kinds of elements kept coming up and reflected in my work,” shares the artist who studied fashion design and pursued it as a career for two decades, before beginning her rendezvous with canvases.

One among the works on display is Tarini, which is inspired by her visit to INSV Tarini, circumnavigated by six women officers of the Indian Navy. “When I got the opportunity to visit the submarine, I couldn’t help but think about the people who join the armed forces and take up work that is so difficult. It requires real grit to navigate through the world,” she says.

Another artwork of her, titled Sewed, displayed at the exhibition, highlighted women empowerment. Talking about it, she says, “I’m a part of many welfare organisations where I teach sewing for women to earn their livelihoods. It helped me realise how such a humble beginning can bring about change in someone’s life.”

Author tweets Anu_95m

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