Interpreting the purpose of small talk through paintings

Though she started painting from a very young age, Nandini R Nair has been seriously focussed on the art for the past 10 years. Now, the artist is all set to showcase her paintings at her first solo exhibition in the city. Titled, Small Talk — Voices to be heard, the exhibition will feature her 50 paintings in acrylic and watercolour (pen and ink) with elements symbolising the wildness and natural course of being. The theme of the exhibition revolves around the identity and independence of women.

Although a civil servant (Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Chennai) by profession, she has always had a great deal of interest in visual and performing arts, theatre and dance. “Growing up as an independent person in a liberal background, we don’t realise how the world is. But later, we read a lot and meet people from various strata that will change our perception about life. This transition had an effect on my paintings,” she starts the conversation sitting at a quaint cafe in Royapettah.

The artist in her has never felt the need to convey a message through paintings. “I like to experiment with art and the themes that revolve around women are something that I could relate to easily. Now, it is all more relevant because there are a lot of women movements and I realised it is crucial to stand for the women around me. Moreover, a lot of readings have influenced my outlook on life. These paintings are my way of expressing solidarity towards women,” says the artist.

Her paintings embody women as independent entities. Independence symbolised as the ability to be fluid, to be able to accommodate originality, individuality, and newness. The works that will be displayed are done over the past year and Nandini is thrilled about her first solo exhibition.

Speaking about the paintings, she tells us, “The reason why I kept the title, Small Talk is that I wanted to convey the relevance of a conversation. I love it when I am able to connect with someone on a deeper level during a chat. And sometimes, it could happen over a small talk also. It might be meaningless but such conversations transcend relevance and profundity. It throws hints at what we are under the skin. Though the idea of small talk comes with negative connotations, you’ll get to understand people from small talks,” says the IRS officer.

Nandini is happy the way in which the art scene has evolved in the country with a lot of art movements, new venues, Biennale, etc. “Art has become more popular and gone into the streets. The voice of the artists is heard and appreciated which is really a welcoming change,” she sums up.