Bridgelal reflects through canvas

IN spite of not being formally trained, there are creative souls who have produced magnificent pieces that leave many in awe. This is generally accomplished not just by having the talent– but passion, consistent hard work and sacrifice.

Anil Bridgelal is one of these artists who has continued to sharpen his outstanding gift– making him poised to become, arguably, one of TT’s most outstanding painters yet.

The exhibition of his collection, What my canvas reflects, opened on Tuesday night at Horizons Gallery at 37 Mucurapo Road, St James. It continues until November 10.

The collection which took eight months of work has come with a few indications of expansion and change for the artist who has been developing his natural gift for the past 25 years. The crisp work reflecting the beautiful natural scapes of TT brought art lovers out in numbers.

Bridgelal said the exhibition’s title is linked to the impact of local influences on his creative expression. “All the other potential names felt a little corny. So I tried to give the collection a name that was simple yet original– because it really is basically what I see, reflected through canvas.”

He said he began painting as a child, fell in love with it, and has not stopped since. “It was a hobby as a child, just something I enjoyed doing. But then I got encouragement from teachers, family members and peers. They told me my work was good, so I kept working at improving and did not give it up.”

Bridgelal said he hopes to communicate the power, majesty and beauty of the untouched landscapes and spaces in TT. “It is changing so fast every day with pollution and the effects of climate change. I wanted to capture and bring attention to the beauty that exists.”

A favourite of his from the collection is Morning light at arena, where he mixed and blended colours and shades to capture a majestic sunrise awakening blue, while dissolving indigo in the morning sky over cows grazing. “I don’t normally do that much life in paintings, in terms of animals and people. I really enjoyed doing this piece– it was something different.”

The move from doing solely still-life pieces, he said, adds more elements of life form to his work. The Paramin Blue Devils is another piece which includes a depiction of living beings. He powerfully and realistically reflects a feature of TT culture– blue devils in the middle of fire-breathing.

Asked if this is an indication of his work heading in a new direction, he said, “I would not say I am heading in a new direction with my work. I would just say I am trying something new. It’s always nice to throw something new into the mix.”

He also sought to send a message to young aspiring artists. “If you are not sure that this is something you want to do as a career, but you like it, and enjoy it– the only way to know is by continuing to explore it. If it is for you it will happen. But you cannot just lag by and expect it to come to you. You have to work for it. The art industry is saturated, so you have to put yourself out there. Be creative, do something different, and don’t be discouraged.

The prodigious artist who has managed to paint in great detail using oil paints instead of the popularly used acrylic was asked: “What can be expected next from Anil Bridgelal?”

He laughed while saying he looks forward to creating “great things with even more diversity.”