Artist of the Month: Apara Sharma - कला दीर्घा: अपरा शर्मा

Apara Sharma

Apara Sharma

Apara is a talented Illustrator and Graphic Designer with a Masters Degree from The Maryland Institute College of Art, and a Bachelors Degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She excels in developing innovative content that tells a brand’s unique story while helping them stand out from the rest. Currently, Apara is based in New York City and is looking for a new role in the design field. Apara's personal work aims to explore the themes in her own life through rose-tinted glasses tinged with a hearty dose of cynicism..

Here is a sample of her artwork deeply rooted in poetic metaphor, ecological intimacy, and urban reflection. Each piece speaks to her sensibility as an artist whose work bridges ecological intimacy and urban imagination with quiet, resonant symbolism.

प्रस्तुत कलाकृतियाँ काव्यात्मक रूपकों, पारिस्थितिक अंतरंगता, और शहरी चिंतन में गहराई से रची-बसी हैं। प्रत्येक चित्र अपरा की उस संवेदनशीलता को दर्शाता है जो प्रकृति और शहरी कल्पना को एक शांत, गूंजती प्रतीकात्मकता के माध्यम से जोड़ती है। उनके कार्य न केवल दृश्य सौंदर्य प्रस्तुत करते हैं, बल्कि एक विचारशील संवाद भी स्थापित करते हैं—जहाँ पर्यावरणीय निकटता और शहरी जीवन की जटिलताएँ एक-दूसरे से टकराती नहीं, बल्कि सह-अस्तित्व की संभावना रचती हैं।

###

*Big Apple Cocktail*

A city distilled into a single vessel—*Big Apple Cocktail* is Sharma’s ode to urban density and nocturnal reverie. Skyscrapers rise like garnishes, trees soften the skyline, and a crescent moon hovers like a lemon twist. The cocktail glass becomes a metaphor for containment and indulgence, suggesting that the metropolis itself is something to be sipped, savored, and perhaps survived. For the literary eye, it evokes Baudelaire’s flâneur and Calvino’s invisible cities—compressed, intoxicating, and strangely serene.

एक महानगर को एक प्याले में समेट लेना—*बिग एप्पल कॉकटेल*  नागरी जीवन पर अपरा शर्मा की एक कल्पनाशील टिप्पणी है। गगनचुंबी भवनों जैसी सजावट के साथ, किनारे पर सुंदर पेड़, और ऊपर एक चाँद जैसे नींबू की फाँक, मानो गुलज़ार का कोई गीत। यह चित्र दर्शाता है कि महानगर एक पेय की तरह है—जिसे धीरे-धीरे चखा जाए, देखा जाए, अनुभव किया जाए, और शायद सहा भी जाए। साहित्यिक दृष्टि से यह बौदलेयर के फ्लानेर या काल्विनो के अदृश्य नगरों की याद दिलाता है—संक्षिप्त, नशीला, और रहस्यमय।

###

*Terrarium*

In *Terrarium*, the birdcage is no longer a prison—it is a poem of reclamation. Sharma replaces flight with foliage, letting leaves spill past the bars in a quiet act of defiance. The warm palette and ornate structure suggest nostalgia, but the plants insist on futurity. Artists and writers alike will recognize the tension between form and freedom, between the curated and the wild. It is a visual haiku on resilience: nature does not ask permission to grow.

*टेरेरियम* में पिंजरा अब कैद का प्रतीक नहीं, बल्कि पुनः प्राप्ति की कविता है। अपरा शर्मा ने पक्षियों की जगह पत्तियों को रखा है—जो पिंजरे की सलाखों से बाहर निकलती हैं, जैसे मूक विद्रोह कर रही हों। गर्म रंगों और सजावटी संरचना में स्मृति की झलक है, लेकिन पौधे भविष्य की ओर इशारा करते हैं। कलाकारों और लेखकों के लिए यह रूप और स्वतंत्रता के बीच के तनाव को दर्शाता है—सजाया हुआ, लेकिन स्वाभाविक रूप से स्वतंत्र।

###

*Greenhouse*

A greenhouse is often seen as a place of control, but Sharma renders it as a sanctuary of abundance. *Greenhouse* is a celebration of cultivated chaos—where color bursts through glass and brick, and the architecture becomes a frame for flourishing. The piece speaks to the literary impulse to nurture language, to tend to metaphor as one does to orchids or vines. It’s a reminder that beauty, like meaning, thrives best when given structure—but not too much.

*ग्रीनहाउस* को अपरा शर्मा ने एक मंदिर की तरह चित्रित किया है, जहाँ जीवन खिलता है। काँच, धातु और ईंट की सीमाओं के भीतर रंगों की बहार है, मानो प्रकृति ने अपनी सीमाओं को स्वीकार कर सुंदरता को जन्म दिया हो। यह चित्र उस साहित्यिक भावना को दर्शाता है जहाँ भाषा को पोषित किया जाता है, जैसे बेलों या फूलों को। यह याद दिलाता है कि सौंदर्य, जैसे अर्थ, संरचना में पनपता है—लेकिन नियंत्रण के बिना, नवोन्मेष द्वारा।

###

*Kamakura*

*⁠Kamakura* is Sharma’s quiet homage to place—both real and imagined. The pink façade, the tree’s embrace, and the layered garden suggest a lived-in intimacy that transcends geography. The Japanese signage anchors the scene in cultural specificity, while the balcony and brick path invite universal recognition. For the artist-writer, this is a study in atmosphere: how light, texture, and memory converge to form a home. It’s not just a building—it’s a narrative waiting to unfold.

*कामाकुरा* एक स्थान विशेष का चित्रण है—जो वास्तविक भी है और कल्पनात्मक भी। गुलाबी दीवारें, वृक्ष की गोद, और बगीचे की परतें एक आत्मीयता को दर्शाती हैं जो भौगोलिक सीमाओं से परे है। जापानी संकेत सांस्कृतिक विशिष्टता को दर्शाता है, जबकि बालकनी और ईंट की पगडंडी सार्वभौमिकता को आमंत्रित करती है। साहित्यिक कलाकारों के लिए यह वातावरण का अध्ययन है—जहाँ प्रकाश, बनावट और स्मृति मिलकर एक घर बनाते हैं। यह सिर्फ एक इमारत नहीं, बल्कि एक कहानी है जो खुलने को तैयार है।

###

*The Girl with the Words*

In *The Girl with the Words*, solitude is not lonely—it is luminous. Sharma’s figure, surrounded by potted companions and immersed in a book titled *Plant Lover*, becomes a portrait of quiet devotion. The monochrome palette underscores the intimacy of the moment, where reading is both refuge and ritual. For literary artists, this image resonates as a visual sonnet: the girl is not escaping into words, she is blooming through them.

*द गर्ल विद द वर्ड्स* में एकांत अकेलापन नहीं, बल्कि उजास है। अपरा शर्मा की यह आकृति, पौधों से घिरी और *प्लांट लवर* नामक पुस्तक में डूबी हुई, एक शांत समर्पण का चित्रण है। एकरंगी शैली उस क्षण को दर्शाती है, जहाँ अध्ययन आश्रय भी है और एक अनुष्ठान भी। साहित्यिक कलाकारों के लिए यह एक दृश्यात्मक सॉनेट जैसा है—यह बालिका शब्दों में खो नहीं रही, बल्कि उन्हीं से खिल रही है।

###

कलाकार प्रोफ़ाइल: अपरा शर्मा

अपरा एक बहुआयामी इलस्ट्रेटर और ग्राफिक डिज़ाइनर हैं, जिन्होंने मैरीलैंड इंस्टिट्यूट कॉलेज ऑफ़ आर्ट से स्नातकोत्तर और यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ़ पिट्सबर्ग से स्नातक की उपाधि प्राप्त की है। उनके डिज़ाइन कार्य ब्रांड की विशिष्ट पहचान को रचनात्मकता के माध्यम से उजागर करते हैं और प्रतिस्पर्धी भीड़ में विशिष्ट नज़र आते हैं। अपरा न्यूयॉर्क सिटी में रहती हैं और आजकल डिज़ाइन क्षेत्र में एक नई भूमिका की तलाश में हैं।

उनकी कला उनके अनुभवों को एक अनूठे दृष्टिकोण से देखने का प्रयास करती है, जिसमें व्यंग्य की एक तीव्र परत भी समाहित होती है। यह दृष्टिकोण उनके कार्यों को एक विशिष्ट भावनात्मक और वैचारिक गहराई प्रदान करता है।

---

सेतु, अगस्त 2025 :: Setu, August 2025

Artist of the month: Sonjaye Maurya

Beautiful Bodies Searching for Soul

Acrylic, Gouache and Inks on Board

25.50 x 25.50 Inches  

August 2015

“Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well.” – Famous Anonymous Quote

Though science proves that butterflies have compound eyes with 360^o vision.

‘Beautiful Bodies Searching for Soul’ beckons us to nurture the inherent beauty within. To follow our soul’s calling and explore what makes us happy. Discover the true essence of our existence and be at peace. All the outer beauty, pomp and extravaganza will mean nothing unless one finds harmony with own inner self. Only then nothing can shake us; the materialistic wealth of the outer world, things we accumulate, success we achieve.

MELTING SKY

Knife Painting

Texture White and Gouache on Board

21.00 x 25.75 Inches  

October 2015

We develop cities, roads, bridges and infrastructure without giving thought to the law of nature. To pave way to concrete jungle we keep uprooting trees and mountains and shake the balance of the eco-system. Earth’s most important element, open soil, maintains actions-reactions taking deep within the crust of earth. Our unmindful over exploitation, pollution, scattering of junk and debris tampers with this important element. A day will arrive when all this will explode in our face in the form of natural calamities.

‘MELTING SKY’ captures the anguish of Mother Nature as she faces the disregard of humans who in the name of modernization create havoc on earth. It depicts the exploding sky, shattered and pouring down with Mother Earth writhing in pain and despair.

1^st Buddha Percept- I undertake to refrain from destroying living creatures.

Buddhism- Concern for animals

Acrylic  on Canvas

28.75x21.50 Inches  

September 2018

Animals have always been regarded in Buddhist thought as sentient beings. Furthermore, animals possess Buddha nature (according to the Mahāyāna school) and therefore potential for enlightenment. Moreover, the doctrine of rebirth held that any human could be reborn as animal, and any animal could be reborn as a human. An animal might be a reborn dead relative, and anybody who looked far enough back through their series of lives might come to believe every animal to be a distant relative. The Buddha expounded that sentient beings currently living in the animal realm have been our mothers, brothers, sisters, fathers, children, friends in past rebirths. One could not, therefore, make a hard distinction between moral rules applicable to animals and those applicable to humans; ultimately humans and animals were part of a single family. They are all interconnected.

The Magic of Gayatri Mantra

Acrylic  on Canvas

26.00 x 37.75 Inches  

June 2017

A journey of healing and joy with one of the most ancient prayers known to Humanity

The Gayatri Mantra has been chronicled in the Rig Veda, which was written in Sanskrit about 2500 to 3500 years ago, and the mantra may have been chanted for many centuries before that.

The ancient Hindu scriptures describe how the sage Vishwamitra was given the Gayatri mantra by the Supreme Being as a reward for his many years of deep penance and meditation. This was to be a gift for all humanity.

The Gayatri Mantra inspires wisdom in us.  In very basic but beautiful language, it says “May the divine light of the Supreme Being illuminate our intellect, to lead us along a path of righteousness”.

“OM BUHR, BHUVA, SWAHA

OM TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI

DHIYO YONAHA PRACHODAYAT”

SONJAYE MAURYA- A curator with a heart throbbing for artists

Sonjaye Maurya is an eminent Indian artist curator with international recognition.

He himself is a master painter. A colourful persona, an artist with a difference, a painter who always has good in mind for the artists and works towards their development and promotion. Sonjaye Maurya is an inspiring story of a self-taught artist, a businessman who shut down all his business and decided to follow his passion for art and to dedicate his life to art and artists. A story of rise to success in a short span of four years with dedication, devotion, proper planning and understanding of business, marketing, branding etc. He is also a photographer, a traveler, a writer and a poet.

His works have a mysterious quality... a magical touch that makes them stand apart from the works of other contemporary artists. Everything that he paints has a deep meaning and message in it. May it be Buddha or even if he is painting fishes or a landscape. His works are many a times a transformation from realistic to abstract and vice versa.

He deals with artistic perceptions about the human feelings and the different realms of life. His works explore the artistic transition from traditional to modern in vibrant colour palettes. His paintings reflect on fantasies and dreams.

His works are a result of vast experimentation with medium, style and techniques, and in-depth study of the subject. Many of his works are neither realistic representation nor abstract. They can’t be categorised to any specific school of art.

He is also a part of growth and development of art scene. His works are entirely different from others with sensitivity and lyricism of poetry. He understands rhythm and harmony. His concentration is on creative pursuit rather than commercial aspect. There is no diversion of mind.

He also works extensively on subjects related to ‘Spirituality’ and ‘Buddhism’, and themes that help us elevate life.

He is also one of the pioneer Indian Contemporary artists working on ‘Buddha’.

Apart from many national and international letters of appreciation and accolades, Sonjaye Maurya is also a ‘Kala Ratn’ awardee.

Sonjaye Maurya is a true friend of artists of all age group. He is caring and friendly. He is gentle and knowledgeable. Any artist from anywhere can approach him for guidance and he obliges. He is very calm and soft spoken person, is easily accessible to all artists established or aspiring and respects their feelings. He spends time with artists and encourage them. He tells artists to work sincerely and not to be part of the rat race.

Sonjaye Maurya curates and orgnises various events. He is the founder of ‘Sonjaye Maurya Art World’ and ‘Creative Art Affairs’. These are initiatives to appreciate and promote young and upcoming artists.

The groups have Futuristic vision n trend setting goals. And have been tirelessly yet zealously working for the core development of art and artists. The events organised by the groups and artists launched on platforms of repute were well received and highly appreciated.

‘Sonjaye Maurya Art World’ and ‘Creative Art Affairs’ help in its quest to discover new talents, providing them platform by organizing various art activities. There is continued effort on the part of the groups to find and cultivate dynamic, young contemporary artists who have the potential to contribute substantially to the understanding of art given the right environment and direction.

The groups seek to promote contemporary Indian art and strive to deliver this by creating opportunities for the artists. Their moto is to promote excellence and innovation in all aspects of its work and explore the unique contribution that the art can make to our understanding of contemporary.

‘Sonjaye Maurya Art World’ and ‘Creative Art Affairs’ are non-profit making groups, whose objective is to launch aspiring artists on the big platforms along with reputed and eminent artists at nominal charges, so that they can reap the same benefits enjoyed by renowned artists. To help them make contacts with the big galleries, art connoisseurs, art dealers etc. and interact and learn from big artists.

The events orgnised by the groups have a mix bag of established and aspiring artists and are received well and highly appreciated. They have been very promising and helpful. And have been a guiding force for the new artists by helping them chart their direction of painting, to set style, learn to promote themselves etc. The event have been path breaking for the careers of many participants and have got heavy recognition to some of its participants.

Some of very highly successful events orgnised by the groups in recent past are :

An art symposium in Gujrat

The workshop had 10 artists from all different parts of India working with different styles and medium. Here they got exposure to the mediums other than they were conversant with. They got to learn new techniques like creating textures etc. Utilising tools to their best ability and paint using things other than brushes and palette knives. The group had talk sessions on many art subjects.

International Confest on ‘World Peace and Brotherhood’

This was a conference cum festival which had writers, poets, painters, singers, dancers and other delegates from many countries. The group launched 10 artists in this events, who painted to spread this message with their medium. Some also recited their poems on the subject and an artist also expressed this with her dance composition.

An International event of art exhibitions

The event brought together 41 artists from Asian countries with 143 works of art. Demos were orgnised in many mediums and for different subjects and also clay sculpture. The participants exhibited extra ordinary talent and some won award for best work of art.

Launch of 30 artists as ‘Creative Art Affairs Pavilion’ in ‘Kalaa Spandan Art Fair- Nov. 2018’

The event is one of the biggest art fair orgnised in India every year, which has celebrity artists from all over the world. The event sees around 150 thousand visitors. Getting a place and recognition to the aspiring artists on this platform is a big fate and a boon for the artists. The team members exhibited their talents in various forms like micro sculpting and paper cutting, apart from painting with various mediums.

Presence on FB:

facebook.com/sonjaye.maurya

facebook.com/sonjaye.maurya.art.world/

facebook.com/groups/creativeartaffairs/

  

Setu, February 2019