Mystical Trees

Bhaskar Rao’s paintings of beautiful trees are realistic, abstract but prominently mystical in their strengths. They emanate a strong effervescence of goodness and prosperity and have made a mark yet once again in a foreign land. He was the only artist from India to be selected for International Art Revolution held in Taipei, Taiwan in this year. Twenty-eight paintings by him were exhibited in the show.

The show amalgamated paintings of well endowed branches and boughs which have been fondly cherished and treasured by many art lovers and collectors, internationally. Tree remains the central and prominent form in his expression. It gets worshipped, fantasised and treasured in myriad manners and stances by the artist. The treatment is such that the branches imbibe the luminescence and radiance akin to precious stones. And, they are delicately, fondly and sensitively rendered with intricate layers of clustered leaves.

The simplified brilliance of colour palette uplifts the forms of trees into fantastical exaggerations, weaving into the works an obvious surreal essence. The present series on Kalpabriksha, tree of life, reinstates a very strong Indian ethos that enthrals. The treatment of the works is “impressionistic” but the linear simplicity and rhythmic liveliness reinstates the charm of Indian miniature paintings. The artist tells more about his work, “My landscapes are my playgrounds — my laughter, smiles and tears of reverence for beauty are present in them. Trees have a significant role in our cultural landscape, for they not only yield fruits but provide shade as well and cover and protect the surface of the earth. My connection and fondness for trees goes back to my childhood days. My parents belong to agricultural background and so my visits to the fields were an important part of my growing up days. My earlier series assimilated widespread, vast landscapes, with land, water bodies and skies. But gradually and eventually, the tree form has become the core element of my works. On a broader scale these works reflect an innate bond between trees and people of our country, in the form of worship and as an emblem of auspiciousness. And, yet these works also imbibe my companionship with nature.”