Unlocking Stillness is a series on Walls as Beings at Gallery Artmotif, Safdurjung Enclave. "Human surrender to a Wall, be it an architectural element or artistic endeavour, manifests a vortex a human energy it beholds. It is deep yet simple, of bodily surrender and yet filled with sensuousness, and of the mundane yet ethereal presence," states the artist.

A product of the JJ School of Art Mumbai, Kiyomi thereafter left for the US to do her Masters, is a Gold Medalist, and winner of many awards and accolades. Her connection with walls, as indeed any connection with walls as anything but a means of protection and support, can only be infused with history, of what has or might have gone on within or outside of what it encloses. It could be a history of the people in and around them, the pervading society and culture, of beliefs and norms that governed it, approvals and disapprovals. The nature of walls can determine the success and failure of their creators, their positioning and stature in their contemporary society.

Photographer Mala Mukherjee comes to mind for her very colouful series on walls, catching from actuals to reflections, somewhat redefining the very notion of walls. Kiyomi's walls have the silence of history about them. In receding tones of marble, her walls bespeak of times gone by, cracks and crevices as telltales of time, circumstances and fate.

Walls have enormous variety and evidence. Kiyomi's selections for this series are not of the happiest vintage.

Young Shalini writes some fine bits of poetry alright, and surprise of surprises, she has reasonable command of the rich language of Urdu ~ so rare to come by among the younger generation!

Shalini shows at Art Centrix Space, Jain Farms, Vasant Kunj. The works are mostly abstract in nature, "ranging from a mix of spectacular, bright hues to geometrical figures to aboriginal motifs, daring use of shades with frequent use of unconventionally shaped canvasses characterise her works as in this series". The cosmic universe inspires her to capture its essence on the canvas. From mandalas to cosmic waves to celestial clouds, one can see it all in her works.

"The coming together of her poetry and art, as indeed do her sensitivity and perceptions that mutually inspire one another, She is not bound by conventional style of painting with brush. The use of the brush is minimal in her art as she uses lipstick caps to toothpick to stone and pebbles as her tools and manifest inner emotions in an unrestricted way. Her works also capture natural patterns and beauty of free flowing imagery."

Shalini's works appeal primarily for her manner of execution ~ meticulous, fine, and well thought out, retaining variety even across the similarity of motifs, which are mostly nature inspired. Her strong sense of drawing and line in no way undermine her innovative painterly traits. Shalini is most certainly an artist to look out for.