Art is a prayer, always was, always will be.

At the very outset - and even at first glance - it becomes clear that Bharati Sagar’s paintings are works of contemplation, peace, harmony. And, of prayer.

Trained in painting and ceramics, Sagar has been consistently working and regularly exhibiting her work for more than two and half decades. In these years, she has tried to develop a warm, long-standing, and intuitive relationship with her art. In doing so, she seems to have followed Frederick Franck’s dictum that art is neither a profession nor a hobby; it is a way of being.

Among several distinguishing features of Sagar’s art are her care and concern for people, her intimate connection with Nature, and a firm commitment to all things which are, for her, expressive as well as illuminating. She sees in each of them a reservoir of uplifting themes and appropriate subjects to dwell upon. They provide esteemed inspiration as well as ready ingredients for her canvas and paper, brush and colours. Sagar’s works are pleasing nuggets of a full life and its simple revelations. Life, for her, can never be complete without people. People-centricity thus is not just an inevitable consequence but also a striking facet of her sustained creativity. For Sagar, people are like flowers to a gardener. Like flowers, their lives too are varied, rich, colourful and at times, thorny.

Sagar observes people with kind eyes. She draws them with a caring brush, pencil and colour. Her references to children are particular motivated; in sleep they are peaceful; when awake, they are playful. Whatever be the moment, whichever be the landscape, they implore and cajole her to catch their pranks, narrate their little anecdotes through her art. Sagar is a willing victim of their persuasion. She sees innocence in their eyes, innocence in their moods, and innocence in their actions. There are many other people who come into the artist’s ambit. Monks in orange robes are among Sagar’s favorite protagonists. They are symbols of love, compassion and, of course, prayer. Her series on Mahavira is rendered with graceful lines and least effort. ‘The Preacher’ is a charming work where the batik lines on the paper lend a touch of intimacy, understanding, and spiritual communion. In “Whispering Monks”, the playfulness of her child portraits quietly returns.

Sagar’s feminine identity too comes through forcefully in her works. She meditates about complex situations women find themselves in society. She probes the thoughts and feelings of suffering women in her paintings. Their agony and anguish, their charm and wonder, their dreams and desires silently find way in her work before emerging as intimate and thoughtful portraits. In essence, painting for Sagar is not an end but an unbroken and unavoidable journey. It is a channel to open many windows. Windows of love, prayer and Ananda.