Contemporary Artist Antra Srivastava’s ‘Hidden Spheres of Mind’ series set to take the viewers away into the complex lanes of conscious and subconscious mind 

by Suman Gupta

 ‘Becoming – Unbecoming’, ‘Metamorphosis’, ‘Regeneration’, ‘Swayamsiddha’ – Key artworks that were truly transformative experiences for the artist!! 

The solo show will be held at Bombay Art Society, Mumbai, 22nd Feb to 27th Feb 2022

 Inauguration on 21^st Feb by Director Anurag Kashyap

Mumbai, Feb 2022: ‘Mind’ is the primary source of human behaviour, like an iceberg, the most important part of the mind is the part you cannot see. Human thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are rooted in the brain, where a complex network of cells receives information from the internal and external environment, transforming this information into our experience of ourselves, the world around us, and our relationships with it. Contemporary artist Antra Srivastava in her latest series of artworks has attempted to express the nuances of both conscious and subconscious mind through surreal style in her solo art show ‘Hidden Spheres Of Mind’. Her distinct artworks in oil and acrylic with rich vivid colours will be exhibited at Bombay Art Society, Mumbai from 22nd Feb to 27th Feb 2022.

“The conscious mind, which contains various chambers of thoughts, memories, feelings, and wishes of which we are aware at any given moment, the subconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that are outside of our conscious awareness. Though it was pretty challenging at times to execute the emotions I was going through while passing through various aspects of mind. But I thoroughly enjoyed the process and hope it takes the viewer’s down the lane to ponder a while”, shares the autodidactic artist Antra Srivastava. She has travelled extensively across the globe over the past 20 years which has brought her into the contact with wealth of outlooks and introduced her to vast range of perceptions ideas and knowledge.

She further adds, “Though the essence of surrealism in my work is indefinable, it remains mysterious, as I remain both a participant and witness in the entire creative process, the process which proves to be an opportunity to know the creative energy within. Some of the artworks were truly transformative experiences for me”.  ‘Becoming – Unbecoming’ is about the journey of life, its struggle, understanding the nature of duality, and finally reaching to stillness as witness. ‘Metamorphosis’ revolves around the misery which comes with a purpose in our life. Pain literally helps to open up the deepest corners of heart. So when grief rings one must surrender. There’s nothing else to do.. and the delivery is utter transformation. ‘Regeneration’ is all about renewal and resilience. Transitions are a part of life, when we experience the end of one chapter, it is transformative to feel the emotions of loss and get ready to restore and recondition our new self. ‘Swayamsiddha’ is the one who conquered her desires and realized the true power of will. And eventually, she becomes the master of her mind.

While decoding the complexity of thoughts behind her works she adds, “Our feelings, motives and decisions are actually powerfully influenced by our past experiences and stored in the unconscious. It contains not only negative thoughts from past experiences, but also the deepest desires. It ensures that you respond exactly the way you are programmed.  It goes without saying that how this happens is still being explored scientifically but if we try to comprehend through art this phenomenon involves an internal experience accessible through introspection and could be controlled through conscious will.” 

Though in The Devil’s Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce describes the mind as a mysterious form of matter secreted by the brain, engaged in a futile attempt to understand itself with nothing but itself to know itself with.’ Despite this, the desire to understand the human mind has been the driving force behind many scientific, artistic and literary pursuits. 

Antra is an army wife, social welfare has always been an integral part of her life. She has conducted various art workshops for the families and children of armed forces as well as in civil to sensitize people about the healing and uplifting power of art and also its economic prospects.

Recently she collaborated with an acclaimed Iraqi Poet. Their idiosyncratic book ‘Poetic Palette’ showcasing her paintings based on the poems of the poet is published and received with great response.

She has deep interest in language and literature and apart from expressing through brushes she expresses herself through her poems and other literary mediums as well. Her book Mann Pankhi : khwab aasman, a collection of hindi poems is published recently. She has translated a novella ( A Gothic Christmas Angel) of an award winning American author Anna Erishkigal, which was received with much love.