Butterfly Lovers

This painting captures Mrs Bhaskar posing after her first choreographed dance inspired by the film Butterfly Lovers (1958). The whimsical movement of the butterfly patterns in the background and her dynamic pose express her youthfulness as she performed this piece during her late teens. She is painted with fluid brush strokes and in black and white to symbolise the beginning of her exploration in integrating and choreographing multi-cultural dances.

Mrs Bhaskar’s gaze in Butterfly Lovers looks towards the other portrait in this series Sambhavna 2.0 + 28 as if looking towards her future self. However, her older self looks directly at the audience as an invitation to engage with her performance. Both of the figure’s arms paint a full circle from the beginning to the end of her journey in choreographing and performing traditional Indian dance infused with other cultures and concepts.

Artist
Michelle Yeo
Year 6, Visual Arts IBCP

Medium
Oil on canvas
42 x 59.4 cm