“Painting cleanses your soul to a great extent,” says Thejomaye Menon. “It was not for a sense of validation; I continued painting because I knew I had it in me to do whatever I was doing,” she says, talking about her journey as an artist.

Based out of Chennai with over 120 shows to her name, Thejomaye, who has been an artist and an art teacher for the past three decades, believes “there is no time for excuses” when it comes to following one’s passion — be it time constraints, a career or family life.

“It is an arduous journey because you have to go through the paces before you get yourself out there. Criticism will come, but you need to look beyond that because, at the end of the day, it is your work that matters. Each of my works gives me a sense of satisfaction that I transfer onto the canvas. You cannot become a successful artist as soon as you start painting. It may take days or years, but nothing can compensate for hard work.”

Also read: Good vibrations and Asma Menon’s series Sacred Spaces

Thejomaye says she moved to abstraction “to challenge myself”. “My heart and soul are with figurative art, and though I used to dabble with abstracts, I took it up seriously in a bid to break out of my comfort zone.”

“I try to balance both my visions; I indulge in my figurative work when I feel like it, but delving into abstraction is challenging and I am enjoying it.”

The artist uses mixed media to create vibrantly-coloured works which she says, “can be called quasi abstraction, because viewers can recognize what I’m doing. I love colour and one glance at my works should reveal that I am a colourist.”

Thejomaye remembers the vivid landscape of Kerala from childhood trips to her home town, and its radiant hues are reflected in her work. Coming from a family that was part of the Malayalam film industry, she was also inspired by the larger-than-life movie sets she would frequent where her producer-father was working, as well as the brilliant tones of Kathakali and Theyyam costumes.

“The five basic colours are almost always there on my canvases, but my greens are very green; I do not hesitate to add colour. And I do it because it feels good to me. It may seem imperfect to someone else, but I find charm in it. At the end of the day, chaos is clarity for me.”

“Everybody hankers after success, and I don’t know whether I am a good artist or not, but I’m happy being the way I am and doing what I do.”

Asma Menon and Gita Hudson whose works will be on display along with Thejomaye’s, are artists in their own right with numerous shows to their credit. While both artists are inspired by Nature, their depictions of the same are characterised by their unique styles.

Mavericks of Narratives showcasing the works of Thejomaye Menon, Gita Hudson and Asma Menon will be on display at MKF Museum of Art from June 13-24. Entry free, Mondays closed