Artist Renuka Varma’s exhibition is currently ongoing at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. In her latest exhibition, the artist has painted scenes of the blue sky, clouds, and mist, reliving her childhood memories.
Artist Renuka Varma (Photo: Manoj Kesharwani)
What do you do with childhood memories? Do you bring them to life through your words or paintings? Artist Renuka Varma‘s ongoing exhibition, ‘ab to bas āsmān baaqī hai‘, at the India Habitat Centre, vividly captures the blue sky and clouds that she cherished while growing up in the foothills of the Himalayas. “My last exhibition was called Shakhein. I have a distinct way of depicting trees — I paint branches without leaves. My latest exhibition, ‘ab to bas āsmān baaqī hai’, focuses entirely on the sky,” says Renuka.
She talks about her love for nature and the mountains. “I adore the diverse hues of nature—the forests, sky, and mist. It’s incredibly beautiful and has always captivated me. The mountains were lush green, often blanketed in ample snow,” she says. Reliving her childhood, she recalls spending spare moments outdoors, engrossed by nature’s beauty. “Even as a very young girl, when mist drifted onto the wrap-around veranda through open windows, I’d ask my mother to pin her dupatta to the back of my dress, turning it into makeshift wings. With my dupatta as wings, I’d run through the mist, feeling as though I were flying, my imagination running wild.”
Cloud on Mountain – oil on canvas (Photo: Manoj Kesharwani)
She speaks fondly of the beautiful forests in the Himalayas and recalls how a single Himalayan champa flower could fragrance an entire forest. “Nowadays, when I see the Himalayan Champa, I don’t sense the same fragrance from those lovely flowers. I still reside in those forests mentally, reliving the monsoon sunsets and the green hills turning pink, purple, and gold. I’ve attempted to capture some of these cherished memories through my paintings. It’s these artworks that allow me to mentally reside in the hills.”
Renuka primarily works with oil paints and has used them extensively for painting clouds. However, this time, she has also incorporated acrylic paints into some of her landscapes. “My favourite medium is oil paints, but working with acrylic offers so much freedom. I’ve explored the acrylic pouring technique on some canvases, and I can’t even begin to describe how much I enjoyed it,” she says.
Renuka hasn’t pursued a professional art course; it’s her sheer passion for her work that keeps her going. “I’ve practiced art everywhere. My husband was in the Foreign Service, and I’ve dabbled in various art forms around the world. In Bulgaria and Romania, I explored glass painting, traditional to those countries. In Russia, I delved into Palekh (painting on wood), while continuing to paint landscapes in Cyprus. The landscapes in Cyprus are stunning; outside my window, I would see fields of mustard in spring and summer, all in vibrant yellow. The mustard would keep returning along with red poppies—such a gorgeous combination of red and yellow. Truly, God is the best artist.”
The exhibition features paintings that are available for sale, as well as some from the artist’s personal collection which are for viewing.
For those who love painting but haven’t pursued it actively and professionally, she advises, “Don’t stop. If you can paint, just keep painting. Everything else will follow and fall into place.”