This monsoon, catch 19-year-old Jwalant Nanavaty's melting abstracts of nature

Architecture student Jwalant Nanavaty has captured nature through textures painted in acrylic. Catch his second solo show ‘Shades of Nature’ at Amdavad Ni Gufa, until July 15.

Aspiring architect Jwalant Nanavaty has made 40 abstract artworks  inspired by free-form elements of nature. But the hidden geometrical lines in his paintings disclose a search for order. Made using surgical tapes, they are visible within the layers of his paintings. Jwalant uses acrylic colours to portray the organic textures of nature. In his second solo show Shades of Nature, the 19-year-old’s forms prompt you to imagine waterfalls, giant craters, forests and oceans, all through the use of colour.

Art entrepreneur Anil Relia was present for the show’s inauguration on July 11, alongside Jwalant’s mentor Arjan Rasadiya. Addressing the crowd that had gathered for the show, Relia said, “I have seen three shows in a row by Arjan’s three students this month and, surprisingly, the aesthetics of all these prodigy artists has spoken differently to me. Jwalant’s colour combinations, and sense of using thin and soothing textures with dense and gaudy tones, create a new impression. There is no direct representation of natural elements, but his freedom and confidence in using a knife and brush while making dramatic abstracts helps the audience in visualising them.”

The five elements of nature – earth, water, fire, air and space – are flawlessly balanced throughout the display. When we asked the young artiste Jwalant if he wishes to evolve his mastery over art and make this his primary career, he said, “I am not planning to pursue Fine Arts as a career. It is something I would love to do all my life, just like cooking and photography.” Jwalant is currently enrolled in his third year of architecture studies at Arvindbhai Patel Institute of Environmental Design in Anand.

Jwalant had his first solo show approximately three years back, under the tutelage of Rasadiya. The mentor has been guiding him since over eight years now. Over the course of his 25-year-long career in painting, Rasadiya has inspired hundreds of aspirants, while serving as a teacher at Sheth CN School of Fine Arts and teaching art to many enthusiasts. More than 50 of his students have contributed actively to various art exhibitions.

Relatives of Jwalant were present on the show’s inaugural day, as well as artists like Natu Mistry, Vrindavan Solanki and Chaula Doshi. Art lovers of Ahmedabad could be seen enjoying onion and potato fritters with coriander chutney in the rainy weather.

Enjoy this artistic spread of nature in the befitting backdrop of the rainy weather of Ahmedabad. Drop by at the Herwitz Art Gallery near Amdavad Ni Gufa until July 15, any day from 04:00 PM to 08:00 PM.