Priyanka Aelay’s acrylic works unfold like magic realist tales filled with birds, beasts, animals, trees and flowers in bold, vibrant colours. Her mythical, enchanted forests are filled with intricate motifs, exquisite patterns and striking imagery. ... On her canvas, age-old folk heritage — particularly from Telangana, from where she hails — is transformed into something that is distinctly contemporary and wholly unique, as she seeks inspiration from the environment and indigenous flora and fauna. Aelay’s paintings reflect the energy, momentum and simplicity of folk art, as well as the aesthetics and language of contemporary art. Paintings do not follow a linear perspective in the artist’s work, as she plays with space, dimensions and perspective to make the landscapes appear free flowing and free floating. Aelay’s works are an invitation to transport and immerse yourself in the unboundedness of nature and the wilderness, something sorely lacking in our urban ecosystems.

(Read more)