Shyamala Venkatesh

Born in Kandy, Sri Lanka, I did my schooling in Lusaka, Zambia, graduated from Stella Maris College, Chennai (India) and have travelled widely with my husband who is a Marine Engineer. Though never formally taught in art, I have inherited some of the artistic genes from my mother and brother who are skilled in fabric painting and charcoal respectively. I always had a penchant for art and it developed into a passionate hobby over the past few years in Dubai. With encouragement from family and friends, I had my first solo exhibition of 30 paintings in Bangalore (India) in 2003. When I realized that I could elicit an appreciation for my works, I recognized my calling and started experimenting with oils in greater detail. Learning from the internet, attending exhibitions and painting for others (according to their home interior requirements), I developed basic techniques and started improving and improvising. My paintings range from landscapes, seascapes, flowers, horses, Indian village scenes, Feng Shui/Vaastu related works and the quintessential figures of Buddha and Ganesha. My speciality lies in customizing artwork according to a particular theme, colour scheme and the budget of the client.

Artist statement:

"There is nothing more gratifying than experimenting with vibrant earth colours, painting in shadows, showing the flow of garments, capturing the softness in a horse’s eye or giving the final highlights of the finished artwork. I believe that a painting should not only brighten up a room, but also a person’s soul. Every painting I begin, I find a new purpose-one that fills me with limitless possibilities that fuel my creativity and brings with it a sense of peace and accomplishment."