Yasmin Sawhney’s Unconquerable Spirit

At 82, Yasmin Sawhney stands as a remarkable testament of how creativity and hard work can overcome challenges. This rare painter-poet has created a unique niche of pairing painting and poetry that has captivated viewers and readers over the years. Following the loss of her son in 1994, Sawhney embarked on her artistic journey at the age of 60, initially finding solace in recreating the works of masters like Vincent van Gogh and simultaneously pursuing her creative writing course from IGNOU. 

A pivotal moment came when the legendary theatre personality Mr. Ebrahim Alkazi encouraged her to develop her distinctive style which led to the evolution of her signature approach: Figurative works featuring women without facial features, expressing emotion purely through stance and gesture. She writes mostly in support of women inspiring them to fight all odds and never give up. Having successfully held five solo exhibitions and a group exhibition in Delhi. She recently presented her 7^th exhibition at Bombay Art Society, Mumbai –  ‘Rare’ a journey of her creativity where she displayed 41 paintings and as many poems along with her books, digital work and concrete writing which had to be accommodated in two adjacent galleries. The work displayed was appreciated by general viewers and foreign visitors. 

On a chance remark by a viewer in one of the earlier exhibitions that perhaps she did not know how to make features the third exhibition became a series of faces with features among which ‘M.F Husain’ and ‘Genesis – gender balance’ became the most phenomenal.  

In her recent exhibition, paintings and poems Colours of India – Women, Find your space, Time honours woman, Phoolan, Plunder of the soul received maximum attention which readers could find in her second book “Beaver Mole Mother Monk” available on Amazon. 

Perhaps most remarkable is Sawhney's technical precision despite being visually impaired since 1988 leaving her with 2% peripheral vision, which has kept her housebound for the last 30 years. Armed with a magnifying glass and indomitable determination, Sawhney sits on a mattress and paints as she cannot use an easel. Finding the right brush and the right proportion of colour is a tough task but over the years she has created an impressive body of work, including ground-breaking paintings on black canvas and unbelievable brushwork. 

Unique to her style Yasmin Sawhney combines her paintings with powerful poems. Though each painting and poem is a pair, the painting is not an illustration of the poem, and the poem is not a narrative of the painting. 

This Women’s Day Yasmin Sawhney has a message for women everywhere– 

“Be a ‘free-spirit’ and rebel to all ‘confines’ except what Nature, or you, set for yourself. Turn your cant’s into cans by acquiring all tools to further your dreams.”

Sawhney's artistic expression extends beyond the canvas. Her published works include "The Soul Has Its Reasons" from the prestigious Writer's Workshop, Calcutta, and her autobiography "Beaver Mole Mother Monk" available on Amazon. These works showcase her talent as a writer and complement her artistry.

Yasmin Sawhney represents a rare confluence of talents. Nothing, just nothing, not even her failing vision deters her from doing what she sets her mind to. Her work stands as inspiration to artists of all ages, proving that creativity knows no bounds of age or circumstance.

Website: https://www.yasminsawhney.co/