CHENNAI: When Hari Das, Harini Kumar and Shaiba Rajesh crossed paths at the Lalit Kala Akademi during an exhibition, a casual conversation quickly bloomed into a shared artistic vision. Drawn together by curiosity and mutual admiration for each other's work, the three artists realised that their differing styles could form a powerful dialogue when placed side by side. That spontaneous meeting marked the beginning of their art collective, Soul, and their first collaborative exhibition, Colour Sights and Impressions.
Harini explains that the foundation of Soul lies in embracing difference rather than uniformity. "Even though our styles are completely different, our goals were similar. Each of us has a unique way of seeing the world, and we wanted to bring that individuality into our work rather than rely on typical representations. None of us steps into the other's space, and that respect for creative freedom is how Soul came to be," she says.
Colour Sights and Impressions unites three artists whose individual explorations of colour, form and emotion merge into a vibrant sensory experience. The exhibition reflects on how scale, tone and imagery influence perception and deepen emotional response.
Shaiba's series, titled Women and Flower, draws inspiration from a beloved Tamil Nadu tradition. "The idea comes from what you see every day in Chennai and across the state, where women wear flowers in their hair. All my paintings show the back of the head and the arrangement of the flowers. You'll find many kinds of flowers, each one unique. In most other cities, flowers are worn only during celebrations, but here, women of all ages wear them anytime. That uniqueness inspired my entire series. I work with acrylics, and my style is realistic," says Shaiba, a multidisciplinary artist.
Harini, who began her artistic journey in realism, later gravitated toward cubism, a 20th-century movement co-founded by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. "My work is cubist, built with bold colours and expressive strokes. Instead of depicting things realistically, the form is broken into geometric shapes and shown from many perspectives within a single frame. My themes vary widely. Some pieces are inspired by Chennai, while others portray adolescence, the seaside and urban life," she explains.
For this exhibition, Hari presents watercolour works in an impressionistic style. "I focus mostly on urban architectural landscapes. Here, I've included scenes from Chennai, such as Higginbothams and Chennai Central, along with paintings of Bologna and Venice. I set my lighting carefully and use a very minimal palette so the structure gets more prominence. In this exhibition, I have a series called Yellow Sky, where the skies are yellow and the sketches are in black and white," Hari says.
The artists say that visitors have been captivated by the contrast and balance within the show. "People enjoy how different the artworks are, yet how well they come together in the space. It creates an immersive atmosphere. Even though our styles and mediums vary, the works collectively show how colour sets a mood, how scale alters presence and how impressions stay with the viewer long after," they say.
All my paintings show the back of the head and the arrangement of the flowers. You'll find many kinds of flowers, each one unique. In most other cities, flowers are worn only during celebrations, but in Chennai, women of all ages wear them anytime -- Shaiba Rajesh, multidisciplinary artist