Utsava | Joyous occasion, celebration XI

Description

Natasha Kumar’s Utsava collection is a celebration of family and belonging.

It combines ancient Indian aesthetic and identity through figurative representation and abstract sensibility. It is both traditional and contemporary. The overall design is unique but typical of Kumar’s style, a layering of different techniques rarely found in combination: drawing, etching, and screenprinting incorporating references to the architectural motifs such as the Jali window and pictorial elements from Mughal miniatures.

The drummers represent the beat of the heart, and the heart beats the rhythm of everyday life. The dancing women, hand in hand, capture a universal joyful human experience. The infinite geometric design is a signature Kumar motif, referencing the timeless nature of the dance, a microcosm against the macrocosm.
The background also references an ancient Persian floral design, once woven into a carpet. The flowers are now contemporary, rice grains arranged into floral motifs and scattered liberally through the scene.

Colour is an essential part of Indian existence: Kumar loves to use bold and compelling colour in her work to evoke mood and feeling. This design is all about the vibrancy of life, and celebration, in signature deep pinks, and brilliant bright blues.