We are at the juncture of multicultural complexities, where the ‘praxis' of art is understood as not only an ideological expression but also regarded as highly validated liberal/activist communication addressing a wide range of cultural nuances. For Nirmala Biluka, an emerging artist from Baroda , ‘painting' is a medium through which she can express her inquisitiveness of global culture as well as the're orientation' of popular images and their ‘implied' meaning. She certainly has attempted to amalgamate fantasy as her personal choice and predilection for femininity metaphorically. Consequently, Her paintings are multifaceted, with incongruent images juxtaposed in different parts of the canvas that do not really have much to do with one another yet each image is evocative in itself.

In fact, ‘Image' is the most significant ingredient in her works of art as she brings into play it as a ‘unique signifier' that generates multiple meanings. “In today's Post-Modern art praxis, ‘images' or ‘objects of curiosity' become easily accessible at click of a button. Artists are incorporating/appropriating ‘readymade images' (as I would like to call them) for their visual arena that often perplexed me” reveals Nirmala. Nevertheless, as an upcoming artist, for Nirmala there was a constant and innocent urge to follow ‘the trend' or rather to ‘contemporize' her own visual vocabulary. That is when she realized the power of an ‘image'. In this investigation, she often employs unconnected images of objects around her, as the chosen language is typically figurative. However, the real excitement ushers in when each object or image is related to another in order to construct humor or punnery and bewilderness symbolizing current cultural conditions.

The female protagonist, narcissistically replicating her ‘self' in unusual costumes akin to sports attire, remains central in the “trance temporal space.” Sometimes playing around casually, or as a traffic police signaling events to happen according to her will, or is simply meditating. She becomes a performer as well as an observer/witness; watching/policing things happening around with a vague attempt to control or direct them. One can read the ‘road', where the central character is placed, as a ‘journey', as it extends around the canvas, with the other images suggesting towards real, sometimes subconscious events. The surplus of animal images, at times representing sexuality are nostalgic of travels to wild life sanctuaries along with the artist's father, who is a wildlife photographer.

The ‘images' around her now do not remain hushed but start narrating and weaving stories; not necessarily sensible and comprehensive. They become ‘floating signifiers' or ‘ever-changing signals' and ‘metaphors' of the hidden consciousness.

‘Signals' is going to be her first solo show of her paintings to be mounted at gallery Studio Napean, near Napean sea road, Mumbai from November 7 –22, 2007. The recent paintings exemplify that Nirmala chooses naturalistic figurative idiom in a vibrant palette is a very personal approach that comes as a fresh breath of air.  

About the artist:
Nirmala Biluka Prabhakar was born in 1980 in Hyderabad studied Master of Visual Arts (Painting) from Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda in 2005. She was awarded the Junior Research Fellowship under the UGC in 2006 and has received several scholarships and awards as a student.

Nirmala has been invited to participate in several prestigious group shows such as Tryst with Telegana , Sarjan Art Gallery, Baroda, 2007, Under Currents , Shridharani Gallery, New Delhi, 2007, Modus Operandi, Lanxess ABS Gallery, Baroda, 2006, Reposte , Sarjan Art Gallery, Baroda, 2006, Translocal, Baroda, 2006, Group Shows at Shrishti Art Gallery, Hyderabad, 2006, at Kanoria Centre for the Arts, Ahmedabad, 2005, at Archer Gallery, Ahmedabad, 2003, at JNTU Gallery, 2001 and 2002, at Lakshana Art Gallery, Hyderabad, 2001 and at Camlin Art Exhibition, Bangalore, 2000, 2005. In 2007, Nirmala co-coordinated a group show, titled Cynosure, for Lanxess ABS Gallery, Baroda .

Nirmala has also been invited to artists' camps at Welham School , Dehradun, and at Daman, 2007, to a Glass Workshop at Space Studio, Baroda , 2006, at Kaleidoscope Gallery, Baroda , 2006, at A.P. Tourism Art Camp, Hyderabad , 2002, and at Rabindra Bharati, Hyderabad , 2001. She visited Thailand , Singapore and Malaysia in 2007. The artist lives in Baroda and works at the Space Artists' Studio.