The enchanted wilderness that contemporary artist Priyanka Aelay constructs on her acrylics on canvas is lovely, dark and deep. Alive with a fantastical explosion of flora and fauna, the artworks unfold in delicately wrought, intricately constructed layers, full of exquisite detail and patterns. Fairytale-like, folkloric characters take over the telling of the story – the narrative is woven through the tigers, cheetahs, kingfishers, cranes and deer that dart, hide and soar across the canvas, and the forest itself, as a wild and sentient force. Aelay transforms the natural world from a physical terrain into a magic realist fable steeped in imagination and enigma that flirts between reality and fantasy. The influences and inspirations that shape the Hyderabad-based artist’s art are diverse, and include nature, ecology, folk art from Telangana (a region from which she hails), and Rajput, Pahari and Mughal miniature art. These age-old traditions are transformed and reborn into something haunting and new through Aelay’s unique, transcendental vision and aesthetics which combine the beauty and depth of folk art with the energy and language of contemporary art.

The paintings do not follow a linear perspective and Aelay plays with space, dimensions and perspective to make the landscapes appear free flowing and free floating. Brightly coloured wild cats, cheetahs and tigers (a recurring character in her works) float and leap through space against dreamlike backdrops of dense clouds and flora. The spontaneously created paintings are full of minute mesmerising details and textures. Snapshot-like cross sections of trees, branches and shrubbery that Aelay often paints seem to continue off the canvas, making the terrain feel vast and as well as intimate. She often juxtaposes vividly coloured animals in yellows and reds with dark-hued moody backdrops and an evocative and layered palette that ranges from exuberant and joyful to haunting and nocturnal, to make the jungle seem both celebratory and contemplative.
The natural world is Aelay’s main muse and her art is an expression of her deep love and fascination for its abundant forms. Her works are an invitation to transport and immerse yourself in the unboundedness of nature and the wilderness, something we sorely lack in our urban ecosystems.