Exhibition: A Southern Odyssey

Southern Odyssey is an exploration of the exquisite and striking style of Tanjore painting. Tanjore painting has a unique place in the history of Indian painting. Dating back to the 16th Century, it is a classical South Indian style of painting originating in the town of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. Tanjore paintings are characterised by rich vivid colours, iconic composition, glittering gold foil overlaid on delicate and extensive jesso (chalk powder mixed with Arabic glue) work and inlaid with semi-precious stones. Essentially serving as devotional icons, the subject of most ancient paintings was of Gods, Goddesses, and saints from the Hindu Puranas, sketched or traced and painted with the main figure or figures placed in the central section of the picture, frequently within an architecturally delineated space such as a mandapa (a pillared hall or porch)

The artist, Shanti Poduval, follows this traditional style of painting closely, using semi-precious stones and gold leaf sourced, as the originals were, from Tanjore. She also offers some more contemporary adaptations of the Tanjore style, with non-religious figures, jewellery and stylised animals and birds. Shanti studied oil painting for several years in Rome, Italy and branched into Tanjore painting in 2016. She has had exhibitions around the world, this will be her second solo exhibition in London.