REKHA RAO (B. 1947)

Acquired from the artist
Private Collection

"In the 70's, Nelly Sethna (Mumbai) was a well-known name as a maker of inventive weaves. She worked relentlessly to promote Indian craft-kalamkari, and craft persons. She also worked to improve their standard of living. One day, her husband Homi Sethna invited my father K K Hebbar and me to visit Nelly's Studio. We were at her place and saw her sitting at her loom weaving. She hardly spoke. We did not disturb her. I stood mesmerised. After about half an hour, she got up and turned to us to say, one of the challenges of working with textiles is displaying light. That stayed in my mind. Years later, I painted Nelly's Weave, as a tribute to an artist I greatly admired. I remain absorbed in humanistic thoughts. "- Rekha Rao

PUBLISHED: Kaveri Ponnapa, 'Rekha Rao: The Expediency of Colour', pg 26, 2009