Emotional expressions

Bahrain-based artist, architect and sculptor Sudeep Deshpande is showcasing his collection of artworks that portray the complexity of relationships and emotions using his signature style of abstract designs and geometric shapes.

Sudeep’s 13th solo exhibition You and Me, featuring a collection of his latest works and old ones, some of which haven’t been previously exhibited, is being held at Bahrain Art Gallery’s outlet on Exhibition Road.

“My compositions are an expression of bonding, love, attachment, affection and separation between two individuals,” the 43-year-old told GulfWeekly. “At the same time, they depict society and its perception towards these individuals who have the conviction to survive the ‘thin of time’.”

Sudeep believes it’s the subject matter that decides the colour palette, size or scale of the artwork, and its orientation.

“I have used a limited range of hues for this particular collection as I have portrayed relationships and emotions in their truest form, as they exist, without any improvisation. A minimalistic approach works best for this. My works are purely a self-expression of bohemian ideas and they are an honest interpretation of the world.

“The line work in my creations shows the intersection of one form into another, which represents an individual’s involvement with the other and vice versa.

“I believe that emotions, moods and thoughts have their own geometry, their own lines, their own mass and their own space. Identifying the form of the mood and executing it has always been my interest and intention, and in doing so, painting becomes educational for me,” the Manama resident noted.

An abstract artist who enjoys interpreting his daily life on canvas, Sudeep feels relationships are a reflection of our being. The experience of human attachment and reciprocation deeply inspires his work and never fails to spark his creativity. The universal nature of his pieces, he believes, makes them relatable to a wide audience.

“You and Me, the exhibition’s namesake artwork, is one of the creations that stands out for me. It depicts the emotions of a couple, holding on to each other, and their dynamic with the society that they exist in.

“I’ve used shades of green, black and ochre but there’s a mix of grey in every hue, depicting grey times or phases in life.

“The human forms on the attire of the left hand side male subject are symbolic of the responsibilities he ‘wears’ and feels toward his loved ones, and the hand of the female figure on the right, resting on the man’s shoulder, shows her support and willingness to stand by him,” Sudeep, who owns an interior and landscape design firm in Bahrain, said.

Separation, another piece close to his heart, is an abstract interpretation of a broken relationship.

Sudeep believes that our emotions have personalities and this artwork personifies how a relationship might look like after separation using scattered forms as visuals.

“The medium here is a mix of canvas and paper. Paper is fragile and I used it to portray ‘patch-ups or compromises’ in relationships.

“I feel the energy in a relationship at the brink of separation is quite alive and therefore, the colour scheme of the random geometric forms is a palette of yellows, whites and reds, depicting the vibrant bond in its final state. In contrast, the black and grey background shows finality.

“The artwork has been composed on a square canvas as opposed to any other shape to express the framed and square nature of the situation,” he added, meaning the square shape shows the rigidity of the situation.

Having an art career spanning two decades, Sudeep holds a Bachelors in Architecture from the University of Pune, in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

The ‘poet by nature’ arrived in Bahrain 15 years ago and is currently living in the kingdom with his wife Snigdha Deshpande and his cats.

Coming from a family of creatives, his father a sculptor and painter and his mother, a musician, Sudeep has had an artistic upbringing and was exposed to music, poetry and visual arts from an early age.

A member of the Bahrain Writers’ Circle, he has also displayed his poems at Confluence, the group’s annual poetry and art exhibition held at Bahrain Financial Harbour in October. Sudeep writes poems in Hindi and Urdu languages and has won multiple accolades for his poetic pursuits.

He will be part of a group exhibition titled Sailing Through Time, next month, where he will display his creations alongside other artists in Bahrain. The collection will feature more than 45 paintings and sculptures by 11 creatives.

The solo exhibition You and Me will run until February 15.

For details, follow @sudeep_deshpande3 on Instagram.