Description
Saraf Nataraj believes that art should have a purpose. His own purpose is to make viewers question something with his art. The Hyderabad-based artist’s main inspiration comes from everyday life of middle class citizens of burgeoning Indian cities. His art is predominantly figurative, with a clear conceptual bent. Nataraj’s satirical works caricature our dreams and desires, but with humour and warmth. The mellow palette of his watercolours prod us gently to question the ironies he painstakingly renders. Men and women are seen climbing, swinging and monkeying about on trees and vines, in a state of competition, entanglement and oneness with birds, beasts, flowers and fish. Though Nataraj’s subjects may be dream-like – one sees flying elephants and fire-breathing lions – his clear style of representation depicts them in a state of contrasts. They are often seen between the sky and ground; that which is rooted and that which is floating, in order to present questions of who we are and who we want to be, rather than create surreal narratives.