Naina Maithani is a self-taught artist who interprets the sights and sounds of the world around her using a visceral, abstract visual language. Alluringly ambiguous, she revels in the freedom and endless possibilities that formlessness offers. ... Upon the encouragement of Tran Viet Son — her ‘guru’ — Maithani began solidifying her own niche in the genre, noting that she “dream[s]in abstract. It is something that never bores [her], because it is open to interpretation.”Through her bold, but artfully restrained palettes, and rich textures in her paintings, Maithani concerns herself with the feelings and ideas she evokes in her work. Her enigmatic canvases transport the viewer into a space of pure sensation, colour, and beingness. Working primarily with acrylics on canvas, her art is often influenced by places that have left an indelible mark on her – from Dehradun where she grew up, to Vietnam, Doha, and Langkawi where she has lived. The mellow and intricate gradations and patterns of deep colours seen in her works — inspired as they are by her memories, reflections, and impressions of these places — are an enigmatic travelogue, a journey of Maithani as both artist and woman.

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