In Search of the Perfect Image by G Ravinder Reddy pays homage to women’s kinship with Nature

“I believe women in India surround themselves with Nature, whether they are farming in villages, tending to chores or adorning themselves. So I thought it fitting to create something with Nature entwined in their hair,” says G Ravinder Reddy.

“Women encompass Nature in their spirit, in the way they drape themselves or do their hair; they bring in a spirit of Nature aesthetically and cleverly within their given limitations. That was the inspiration behind these reliefs.”

The artist was talking about his series In Search of the Perfect Image, currently on display at Gallery Sumukha which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Bridal coiffs and bejewelled pins catch your eye as you walk into the gallery, before you find yourself in the view of women looking out at the world through serene, kajal-lined eyes, their gleaming hair coiled into updos bedecked with flowers even as their nose pins twinkle and earrings gleam.

These pieces evoke images of the quintessential Indian women even though they end at the base of the neck and there is no hint of their attire. And, no bindi adorns any of their foreheads.

I ask him about this and he says, “You are born without a bindi and you die without a bindi. I do not want to make art that is community- or religion-specific. Human life is beyond these transitional things. When you look at the bigger picture, at human life in a wider context beyond our four walls or our nation, you realise people are more important than anything else.”

More than six months in the making, Ravinder says the pieces are also based on the changing cycles in Nature. “Some represent the falling leaves of autumn, others reflect the moonlight and some the sun’s brightness. The hues and colours used In Search of the Perfect Image bring these aspects of Nature to mind.”

True enough, a closer look at the different buds and blooms show varying shades — the whites on the jasmine and frangipani range from bright whites to shades of grey and tinges of blue, while the crossandra or kanakambaram bring in the startling reds and mellow oranges.

Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Ravinder has studied at the MS University of Baroda, Goldsmiths’ College of Arts and the Royal College of Art, both in London. Working over four decades as an artist, he has chosen and perfected the art of creating with painted polyester resin fibreglass, his medium of choice. And, has come to be known for these trademark “heads” among his other distinctly-styled works of art.

Yet, he says, “You do not create with intention of crafting a ‘signature style’. It develops over time, as you work through your concerns, likes, and observations. Since they are a part of your thought process, some patterns are repeated time and again.”

“These repetitions when showcased to audiences come to be known as your signature style. You don’t start off devising it, rather you begin inventing a form to express yourself, striving to put your ideas into a meaningful form or visual language.”

“An artist does not begin with a signature; the ideas and concerns that your works reflect become your signature over time.”

He continues, “I encourage viewers to look at creative work for themselves, through their own sensibilities and knowledge. That is when they start enjoying or discovering art.”

In Search of the Perfect Image, a solo show by G Ravinder Reddy, will be on display at Gallery Sumukha till October 3, 2026, from 10.30am to 6pm. Entry free, Sundays closed.