New Delhi - Remember the time when the chirping of birds was all around us? Today, those bird calls are a distant memory, as the same birds are fighting the battle to simply survive. The need of the hour is awareness. In India, the illegal trade of protected bird species has been going on for years. Owls, especially, have been on the receiving end of this for they are sought for their body parts like skulls, talon, beaks, feathers, and even blood—a practice driven by irrational myths. Meanwhile, sparrows are being rendered homeless due to modern ‘matchbox style’ architecture that makes it difficult for the bird to build nests. Thanks to us these birds have been pushed to the brink of extinction. It’s high time we do something to save them.
This year, on World Sparrow Day (March 20), join artist Rupa Samaria as she gives a voice to the birds’ silent call for help through a solo exhibition of 50-60 stimulating and mesmerizing avian artworks to be held at Visual Arts Gallery, IHC from March 18 till March 22, 2020. The aim of this show is to re-discover a world inhabited by one of the most familiar, unique and precious creatures that inhabit our planet—birds. Birds are thought to symbolize freedom, they can walk on earth and swim in the sea as humans do, but they also have the ability to soar into the sky. Along with freedom and strength, birds also exemplify harmony with fellow creatures. Moreover, the image of a bird ushers in fortune and luck, and it represents purity, elegance and victory.
Delhi based, Rupa Samaria’s artworks showcase her passion for birds and wildlife conservation. Her goal is to depict the magnificence and fragility of birds in equal measure. Rupa works across various mediums such as water colours, acrylic, charcoal, and even sculpture and interactive art, to depict the various moods, poses and habitats of birds found across the Indian subcontinent like owls, sparrows, kingfishers, and numerous other native birds. She brings to life her spectacular subjects through intricate detail and loving creativity.
“My avian art comes from my love for these creatures, who I love to paint using my brush and sculpt using my hands, a process which gives me immense gratification as an artist. Moreover, we should be alarmed at the statistics of the recent State of India’s Birds report, which show a decline in the number of house sparrows in cities. I believe the time to act is now,” says Rupa Samaria.
The exhibition is supported by noted Ornithologist, Author, and Conservationist Bikram Grewal along with Photographer, Author, and Conservationist Nikhil Devasar, Former Principal and Education Coordinator, Notre Dame Schools, Sr Mary Beena and Educator Krishna Gupta. “Rupa Samaria is a fine practitioner of the dying art of ornithological painting and a worthy successor to artists like DV Cowen, JP Irani and Carl D'silva,” states Bikram Grewal.
“Rupa’s work brings to mind Oscar Wilde’s quote ‘Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.’ Her paintings have given creative expression to the avian world. These works of art are moments frozen in time that enthuse the viewer to discover what lies in the natural world and the need to protect it,” adds Nikhil Devasar.
Along with the exhibition, Rupa Samaria will be hosting an hour session on 21st March between 11.30am-12.30pm titled 'Walk and Talk' with conservationist Hema Maira. It will be an introduction to the fascinating world of birds for children under 14 years and an interactive presentation of the intriguing facts of sparrows, their life, and their habitat.