Standing just a few inches away from a canvas titled Rhythm of Life or the one with the title Polarities of Rhythm, attendees noticed a sequin-like motif painted repeatedly.All these years, Harpreet Narula designed clothes that responded to clients, occasions and functionality, but his canvases only speak to him. With Inward, his first solo exhibition at Art Explore, the designer presented abstract works shaped by his memories of havelis and fresco paintings of Rajasthan, kothis of Punjab, textile traditions, and the power of repetition.
Harpreet Narula
Tanisha Mohan with Rimple Narula
I’ve never been particular about materials. Whether it’s charcoal, a palette knife or a pen, I use whatever helps me express what I’m feeling
Harpreet Narula
Reshma Chordia and Varun Bahl
Sajid Khan
‘Painting is an act of complete freedom’“There was never one day when I decided I would become an artiste,” said the designer, “It happened naturally.” He explained that fashion design always came with responsibilities. “You’re solving a problem for somebody else,” he said, adding, “Painting, on the other hand, became an act of complete creative freedom.”About how working with textiles defines his art style, he said, “My canvases are built through countless repeated marks, something that I trace back to watching artisans embroider the same motif hundreds, sometimes thousands, of times. I wondered if artisans got bored of repeating the same flower, but when I began doing it myself, I realised repetition doesn’t create boredom – it puts you in a meditative state. You begin thinking more clearly. That’s when memories surface. We are all prisoners of our memories.”
Vaishnavi Kumari
Vipul Kumar
