Remember the time when the chirping of birds was all around us? Today, those bird calls are a distant memory, as the same birds are fighting the battle to survive. This year, on World Sparrow Day (March 20), join artist Rupa Samaria as she gives a voice to the birds’ silent call for help through a solo exhibition of 50-60 stimulating and mesmerizing avian artworks to be held at Visual Arts Gallery, IHC from March 18 till March 22.
The aim of this exhibition is to re-discover a world inhabited by birds. Samaria’s artworks showcase her passion for birds and wildlife conservation. Her goal is to depict the magnificence and fragility of birds in equal measure. Samaria works across various mediums such as water colours, acrylic, charcoal, and even sculpture and interactive art, to depict the various moods, poses and habitats of birds found across the Indian subcontinent like owls, sparrows, kingfishers, and numerous other native birds.
“My avian art comes from my love for these creatures, who I love to paint using my brush and sculpt using my hands, a process which gives me immense gratification as an artist. Moreover, we should be alarmed at the statistics of the recent State of India’s Birds report, which show a decline in the number of house sparrows in cities. I believe the time to act is now,” says Samaria.
The exhibition is supported by noted ornithologist, author, and conservationist Bikram Grewal along with photographer, author, and conservationist Nikhil Devasar; former principal and education coordinator, Notre Dame Schools, Sr Mary Beena; and educator Krishna Gupta. “Rupa Samaria is a fine practitioner of the dying art of ornithological painting and a worthy successor to artists like DV Cowen, JP Irani and Carl D’silva,” states Grewal.
Along with the exhibition, Samaria will be hosting the session Walk and Talk with conservationist Hema Maira on March 21 between 11.30am-12.30pm. It will be an introduction to the fascinating world of birds for children under 14 years and an interactive presentation of the intriguing facts of sparrows, their life and habitat
