Niketa's Paintings

Niketa Fazal is a Nairobi based artist whose paintings evoke a sense of calm and deep introspection towards life and environment. An artist whose commitment towards environment seems as deep as her cultural roots, Niketa’s canvases have a soothing and therapeutic effect on the onlooker.

Having studied Graphic Design in Birmingham, Niketa has been an Art Director for ten years. She has her BFA from Kenyatta University and is now involved full time in art and painting.

Niketa’s paintings are mostly representational covering divergent themes spanning Nature, People and Urban development. Her work has been showcased at several exhibitions including at UN Recreation Centre, Nairobi, ISK Nairobi besides innumerable pop-up shows at private residences.

According to Niketa:

I enjoy portraying moments in time, that have been part of my life experience in my art.

The ‘endangered animals’ series features animals found in the Nairobi National Park and my aim was to raise awareness about their shrinking environment due to increased urbanisation and development.

The medium is acrylics, candy coloured abstract backgrounds are created from complementary and contrasting colors which also form the bodies of the animal that appear to be camaflouged within the painting.

My paintings reflect my ongoing obsession with layers and what lies beneath. Rich tactile layers of paint and texture overlap and interact building a complex terrain with the aim of encouraging observation of our thoughts and actions.

They are metaphors for the unconscious mind as it processes an infinite stream of information, ideas, experiences and feelings when faced with a topic.

My take:

Niketa is an extremely talented artist whose emotional connect to her work transcends beyond the borders of physical existence. Her paintings are like gasps of breath that gives life to her canvases.

A collection of paintings depicting wild life, her canvases represented to me a careful effort to display an innate peace of nature that get reflected her choice of colours. Earthly shades of brown, white, cream with sprinkle of red in between carefully merge into backgrounds on her canvases that are representative of serenity and peace.

I was provided an opportunity to see her paintings at the residence of Ms.Sapna (her close friend), an excellent host who treated me with a handpicked collection of gourmet ‘petha’ filled with caramelized milk concoction of sugar. My sincere thanks to Kalpa my lovely friend from Nairobi who recommended me to the pop-up painting exhibition of Niketa held in New Delhi.

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