Rhythm, Flow and Line: Where Dance And Painting Meet

With the heart of an adventurer, sketchbook in hand, Chavda travelled to Indian temples, absorbing ancient Indian art forms, immersing himself in diverse cultures and communities. These journeys were the bedrock of his artistic journey, notably this series on dancers.

Chavda shows the dancer gracefully in the Veera Rasa (The rasa of Courage), the stance of a king or a nobleman with her left hand on the hip and right hand on the thigh.

Chavda's connection to the world of performance is deepened by his travels and his marriage to Khurshid Vajifdar, a well-known exponent of Indian Classical Dance and with whom he shared a studio.

Instead of rendering movement in a realistic way, he tries to capture the energy and rhythm of the action, the changing forms, postures, and the graceful attitude or gestures portrayed by the figures... with just a few strokes.

In this painting, Chavda captures the dancer in Shringara Rasa (the rasa of beauty) while she holds a mirror in her left hand and applies kajal with her right hand.

The swirling lines give the impression of movement or rhythm to the lines highlighting the figure's sinewy structure and the swishing fabric of the costume. Chavda brings harmony to the artwork through the flow of colours as well.