Architect paints portraits of feminism, spirituality and nature

In a career spanning over two decades, city-based architect Ponni Concessao has created state-of-the-art spaces across housing, IT and the hospitality industries, with leading brands. Architecture apart, Concessao has also nurtured a strong passion for art, and her ongoing exhibition India In My Eyes, is a culmination of the same. “I developed an interest in painting during my school days at Church Park, and have been practising ever since. Although architecture has remained my primary focus, I consciously made time for art. My artistic skills were highly useful during my study in architecture both in the US as well as India. So, I thought it was about time that I showcased this side of me. That’s how India In My Eyes came about,” begins Concessao. 

Speaking about why she chose to name her collection India In My Eyes, she says, “I went to the US as a feminist and an atheist and returned a firm believer in God. I realised the significance of our Indian heritage and culture in contemporary living. It is this realisation coupled with my exposure to Oriental, European, American and Arabic cultures, that I’ve put together in my artworks.” 

The collection includes oil paintings of landscapes, fingerprint series and geometric forms. Feminism, spirituality and nature find expression in her work. “The landscapes titled ‘My Kashmir’ and ‘Fifty Shades of Green’ are from my personal experiences. The abstracts are of Christ, Madonna, Lord Balaji, Lord Ganesh, Namaz, Dance of Indian Democracy, etc to name a few. One of the paintings has my fingerprint in the form of a lingam signifying that God is within each of us,” she adds.

However, it is the picture of three sari-clad, faceless women, that is the most intriguing. She says, “They are Kunti, Gandhari and Paanchali. Initially, I started painting it on the theme of triple talaq, but eventually the idea took its own shape. I am drawn towards Hinduism and mythology. So, I started thinking of Mahabharata and drew these women to portray that they were instrumental in fighting the war,” she explains. She says her being an architect has made exploring her artistic side easier. “It helps me understand the spatial volume and perspective of a painting. The practice of architecture helps you conceive human nature and sacred geometry better. Architecture and art are intimately inter-linked as one complements the other,” she notes.