Peahen on the Roof

Satyadheer’s canvas is that wide open stage where we witness a melodrama of simple joys and desires of a common man being performed in a way that is both fantastic and satirical. Like an adept dramatist, Satyadheer knows very well the art of translating simple narratives of the ordinary contemporary life in epic style. The action is unfolded and our eyes meet with vibrant, delightful scenes combining and contrasting trivial with the grandiloquent, classical and traditional with the modern, popular myth with the present reality, observation with imagination, humour with criticism. This hybridity mixing constitutes the major body of his work and is reflected in the depiction of scenes capturing joyous and romantic moments of fun rides on the hybridized chariots, a medley of modern vehicle and cart driven/drawn by the transmuted creatures and pleasure trips to the local sights, the most sought after destinations for lovers. These are the common sights where we can meet his protagonists, the common men, who come adorned with both the modern accessories such as cell phones and royal umbrellas that are seen as the mark of superiority. Images synthesized such as this, not only helps the artist explore his themes of life’s ordinary experiences and reflect closely-observed realities in a more cheerful manner but also reveal the nuances of past and present cultures with their socio-political implications. While Images are rendered in the most imaginative and burlesque way to give a chuckle of delight, they do not lose the grasp of reality. As behind this veil of mirth and jollity there are critical underpinnings of wit and irony as an alternative response to socio-political and economic hierarchies of our present societies. This aspect broadens the thematic framework of his work that one cannot understand in a fixed conceptual meaning. His canvas further widens to encompass the themes of diversity in Indian culture. This is clearly reflected in one of his works titled “Awadh through my eyes” the place known for its composite culture. The work fuses the Hindu-Muslim elements to show the religious harmony between the two religions.

             Satyadheer has a unique style of projecting these images. His acrobatically free hand draws figures in a way that is humorous and exaggerated. The stretched and extended limbs with their theatrical gestures are the aspiration of a common man who tries to reach the unattainable. The same sense of freedom can be seen in his compositional structure and application of colours that are invested with intensity and vigor. The eclectic mix of bright colours combined with light regions maintains a balance in opposition and thus heightens the effect of drama. In the same way, spaces are punctuated by contrasting colours to shift one scene to another. This fine sense of sharp contrast in the constant play of life’s drama gives viewer an equal measure of delight with the artist.

                                                                                                                      Dr. Saba Gulraiz