FROM THE SOUL

Artist Ram Onkar hailed from a rural area of Bareily in Uttar Pradesh, and is dwelling in New Delhi from the last two decades. In Bareily, he spent his childhood in a complete agricultural atmosphere as his father was a farmer. Despite that, an artistic seed sprouted in him and connected inevitably with colors and brushes. It was the last decade of the twentieth century when he finally stepped into the realm of art. His initial years as an artist can be cogitate as the period of experiment where he was learning the techniques of painting and was working on various themes. As a self- taught artist he began his career with a series of “Door” where his doors have been shown as the path to salvation. At that time the quintessence of music which one can feel in Onkar’s oeuvre now, was miles away from this young budding artist. His words additionally reflect that even he was not aware of the magical effects of music then. Although he was very fond of listening to music while painting, he never ever had an idea that he will connect with music this much. Gradually, he intrigued showing the subtleness of music in his paintings and fascinated by the magical effects of music and began to work on the remarkable series of musical ambiance. At present, his works are a great compendium of the portrayal of music in all senses.

Onkar believes that music is an inseparable part of life from which we cannot cut ourselves. It gives not only pleasure but also helps in pacifying one’s stressful life too. He is working the on the same theme from the last two decades. In his paintings, Onkar finds himself closer to music and musical instruments along with the dreamy shades of colors. The instruments he has depicted, have been derived from the Indian Classical musical instruments such as tabla, sitar, harmonium, flute, and the Western musical devices, for instance, violin, guitar, drum, tuba, trombone, trumpet etc. And his use of a perfect combination of dreamy colors easily connects anyone with an ambiance of the rhythmic musical waves. One can feel the mellifluous environment in his paintings in which the characters portrayed by Onkar get soaked with all their heart and soul. In his words, his paintings are bright and vibrant which represents the colorful, happy and pure mystic spirit of his country.

Onkar’s works depict his insatiable hunger for the representation of music in his paintings. Every time his brushes paint the new connotation of people, totally dissolve in a musical environment. According to the artist, music is the easiest way to unite with God, as in India music is quite popular and a major source of entertainment and meditation as well from the ancient period to date. In fact, at present when human life is bursting with stress and depression, music has become the major source of relaxing the mind and soul. Onkar wants to convey the same idea through his paintings where his figures usually placed in an indoor location and completely indulge in the musical atmosphere, and the effect of music can easily be seen on their visage with a divine feeling. Even the walls become musical with rhythmical flowery creepers in a mystic form floating in the background.

He intentionally makes his figures in a semi-abstract form and musical instruments in an unequivocally realistic manner. The musicians’ faces are soft and almost transparent as their soul is amalgamating in the musical melodies and they also became musical, his musicians are cladded in Sufi attire and enhancing the musical ambience of the room. There is no burden of hectic and stressful life on them. The brightness and softness on their visage goes along with the music including the depiction of nature motifs in the background. The musical instruments are colorful and decorative to depict the beauty of music.

Ram Onkar himself learned the techniques of painting but gives all credit to the Mother Nature that imparted him to use colors in a proper way and the music that made his paintings more lyrical and exquisite.