The show, which runs until Aug. 17 at the Living Arts Centre's Laidlaw Hall, features five artists of Indian descent, and the exhibition is deeply influenced by the vibrant colours of the nation.
While not all of the works are filled with bright hues, the majority are.
"The influence is always there and your background is always a part of you," said Mississauga artist Jeet Aulakh. "It drives the works.
"These are the colours in nature and the colours I saw in India," added Aulakh, who came to Canada a decade ago. "It reminds me of the landscapes, the festivals. That was my experience."
The show features the works of Aulakh and fellow Mississauga artist Youngo Verma, who'll be joined by Mahirwan Mamtani (Germany), Shiv Singh (India) and Surjit Akre (India).
Akre, who's exhibiting in Canada for the first time, submitted six pieces and all of them have an emphasis on beauty.
The oil painting, Mother and Child, depicts a young woman with two children in tow. Yet, despite all the perceived franticness of dealing with children while running the household, she manages to keep a smile on her face.
"She comes from a poor family and is a hard worker who looks after her children, but at the same time she loves to be beautiful," said Akre.
Akre's painting, Zagadka, features a stunning woman sitting with a pair of peacocks. The use of rich purples and blues adds a regalness to the woman.
Verma, meanwhile, offers paintings that all contain spherical shapes. His use of bright reds and oranges on one untitled work contrasts with the paleness and starkness of his other works.
In one piece, a beautiful, planet-like shape hurtles along above an infinite black void just below. The sphere looks like it must keep moving forward or it will crash into the infinite blackness.
Aulakh has several pieces from a series that are loosely based on the emotions and experiences felt during meditation. The mixed media work, Swaasa (which means to breathe deeply during meditation), is a riot of yellows, browns and oranges splattered across the canvas.
"By itself, the work is conceptual," said Aulakh. "Together, it's like going through the deep experience of meditation."
Regardless of background or culture, Aulakh believes the exhibition offers something for anyone interested in art.
"This (exhibition) isn't for just one community," he said. "Its experiences are seen in the day-to-day life and the spiritual life. I think everyone will find something personal about it."
Colours - Five Modern Artists continues until Aug. 17.
cclay@mississauga.net
