Charita Lay: Awakening of thesubconscious mind

by Ryhanna Salie

For Charita Lay art is internally driven and it is about her emotions and passions. She finds stimulation in the environment around her and says even a childhood memory, a book or a movie can spark an idea. Charita says painting enables her to release stress and worries onto the canvas and it awakens her subconscious mind. She prefers to paint figures because the beauty of the human form fascinates her. The artist tries to convey the message that women are not mere objects through her paintings of female figures. Her favourite medium is oil on canvas because it enables her to create subtle blends of colours and it best suits her thematic concerns.

She studied at Princess of Wales College in Moratuwa and loved painting since she was a child. She is currently studying figurative art with Chandragupta Thenuwara. She likes reading, sewing and ocean walking. She also helps her husband with his work and conducts art classes for children at home.

Charita believes that aesthetic subjects such as art, literature and music are important for the development of children. She has exhibited her paintings at the Abstract Art Gallery in Bangalore and displayed her art at the Sekara restaurant in London. She is hoping to participate in the Indian Art Fair in Delhi in January next year.