Journey through a surreal space

Malavika Reddy celebrates nature and its glorious hues through her series ‘A place called here’

The walkway that leads to Kalakriti Contemporary at Club Botanika whets the art-inquisitive appetite of visitors with paintings by Vinita Karim, Girish Kulkarni, A Rajeshwar Rao and others. The gallery space in the mezzanine floor of the club house has been hosting quirky and contemporary artworks in the last few months. The newest in the line up is a painting series by Malavika Reddy.

Through her work ‘A Place Called Here’, the artist urges visitors to temporarily forget the chaos of urban spaces and give in to a surreal experience where nature reigns in all its glory. Bold strokes of vibrant colours, at times with a subtle dash of gold dust, shows how the artist is in a mood to celebrate nature.

Malavika Reddy

Rekha Reddy

The dreamy journey explains the artist’s unbridled use of colours, patterns and textures to create flowers, plants, insects and birds that radiate colour, brightness and warmth as though seeping through a stained glass and encouraging viewers to forget monotony. So what if the magical spell will soon be broken and the artist, and us viewers, end the journey and cross the puddle to walk all the way home through the rain-soaked streets?

With her art education in MSU Baroda, Malavika Reddy has been a part of group and solo exhibitions, displaying her paintings, sculptures and installations.

One of the Ikebana arrangements

The first three days of the exhibition saw Malavika’s paintings being complemented by Ikebana floral arrangements by Rekha Reddy and students. Keeping with the theme of the paintings, the ikebana arrangements demonstrated deft use of space and took a minimalist approach to the use of fresh flowers and creepers, contributing to a visual treat.

‘A place called Here’ is on view till November 16, at Club Botanika, behind The Plaza complex, near Radisson Hotel, Gachibowli.