I have been watching and following Mrs. Chitra Singh's work for last many years. First time when I saw her exhibition I was influenced by the rhythm of forms, use of fast & basic colours and contrast hues. Slowly her paintings have matured. Now there are two streams of styles clearly originating in her paintings. In front of me are her paintings in both the styles. On one side is the transformation of human figures and on the other side is the nature moving towards the abstract form. So we can say the first group is based on human figures and the second group can be called abstract based on different forms ofnature.
Although Mrs. Chitra Singh has not done much work on Lord Krishna but bluish shade of Lord Krishna has been widely used in her figurative paintings. Unknowingly in her paintings male and female figures have become bluish in colour due to deep love for Lord Krishna. Paintings having couple and single human figures, in spite of being realistic are dominated by individuality of artist. The poses of the figures are long and rhythmic. Human eyes in paintings do not look towards the observer but appear as if they are looking at infinity. And hence, it does not stop at the figure but travels with the figure into some mysterious world.
The artist has in her style freely adorned the poses in body construction; similarly she has retained the folds in attire in her styles. Also the figures have been filled with life by using shadows and light from different angles. In these paintings nature has not been merely used to fill spaces but it also has emotional attachment with human figures. Normally it will not be possible to recognize trees, but bamboo stems lead towards Lord Krishna. In "Musicians" painting, the background hues coming out of red and green colours provide further movement to the musical atmosphere.
The paintings which have adapted nature are moving towards abstraction. The blooming and glorious symbols of Lotus and Sun have been balanced by such forms that the paintings are a fusion of spiritual and natural scenes. At some places waves turn into shells, at other places there is a glimpse of foundation of shadow and light, at some places are the dry desert trees in front of hot red sun. But here also the artist has still painted figures of couples depicting immortal love. The figures coming out of blue and mauve colours are at some places flat and at some places blended with shadow and light. After seeing these paintings, the eye does not get entangle into some puzzle, but conveys to the viewer, let me see the painting to my satisfaction. Let me drink the honey of colours.
Dr Shuk Dev Shrotriya
Artist & Art Critic
Between a genuine need for art making, and it's final translation on to canvas or paper with tolerable success lies a vast, hazardous gulf. Sincere feeling is only a first step, which then entails no end of mundane as much as spiritual exercises. Quite a snag! Our goodness does not necessarily ensure results. Yet, to take to art at all, is by itself praiseworthy, given a now largely desiccated world, where the sap of feeling runs sluggish.
Chitra Singh ought, thus; be welcomed among the fraternity, or sisterhood, of painters. She avows a love of colours and form, as for select life-enhancing subjects. This being, so her actual work could grow in time to come, if provided due care and nurture In the meanwhile she treats us to rich colourations, as much as to a sweet realism and much abstraction. I myself believe that her latest work, the almost spiral kind of winding patterns are her best bet. And this progress has to be watched with interest. Life, as we know, springs happy as well as nasty surprises. The viewer ought wish her bon voyage.
Keshav Malik
Padam Shree
Fellow, LKA, New Delhi
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