Seema's Corner: 2015

Thursday, December 31, 2015

2015 Hignlights

2015 has been an eventful year for me at Chennai.

Started with the wall painting at Chennai Central in Jan 2015 (http://seemakumar.blogspot.in/2015/07/felicitation-by-chennai-division-of.html); my Hindi poetry collection "Parag aur Pankhudiyan" was released in Sept 2015 ( http://lalpili.blogspot.in/2015/10/blog-post.html); among other memorable events.

Chennai rain and flood was another unforgettable experience. As the year 2015 comes to an end, I would like to thank all my near and dear ones, family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances, for being there for me.

Thank you all for liking my FB page, too: http://www.facebook.com/seemakumar13

Wish you all a very happy, joyous, healthy, and prosperous New Year 2016.

Wishing all your choicest dreams come true. May you get all your heart truly desires; hopes and dreams for the future; wishes that keep coming true; a wonderful life with no regrets; loved ones always by your side; and everything that mean a lot to you.

http://www.facebook.com/seemakumar13 | www.seemakumar.in

Friday, July 10, 2015

Felicitation by Chennai Division of Southern Railway for Wall Art at Chennai Central

Felicitation of NIFT Chennai faculty and Director by Chennai Division
of Southern Railway for Wall Art at Chennai Central

Continuing from my previous post Wall Art at Chennai Central Railway Station in News, here is an update. On 9th July 2015, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) organised a felicitation ceremony for the painting. Felicitation by DRM, Chennai Division, Southern Railway, for mural painting at Chennai Central Railway Station covering a total wall area of about 900 sq. ft., as three parts of the wall, with three different subject matter, started 31st Jan and completed 23 Feb 2015. The DRM felicitated the Artist (me) and the Director of NIFT, Chennai, Dr. Anitha Mabel Manohar for supporting this voluntary initiative of mural painting at Chennai Central Railway Station.

As mentioned in my last post, I was invited by Southern Railway, Chennai Division “to create art work at Chennai Central Railway Station to improve the aesthetics and visual appeal of the heritage structure”. This was under shramdaan for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Given below are some more visuals of the painting.

The first day - blank wall before stating the mural painting.

Part 1 of Wall Painting at Chennai Central -
inspired by Banana plantations of rural India

Part 2 of Wall Painting at Chennai Central -
inspired by geometric non-objective art

Part 3 of Wall Painting at Chennai Central
- inspired by lines

Tuesday, July 07, 2015

Pandit Ravi Shankar's Mermerising Music Compositions

One of my favourite music these days is Pandit Ravi Shankar's Tarana. I find it just amazing and can listen to it any time and innumerable times. I also listen to this during working or writing. Mersmerising!

Another one is Shanti-Mantra by Pandit Ravi Shankar which I like to listen a lot, specially at the beginning of the day. Another amazing and mesmerising music composition.

After these two, I listen to a lot of other albums and compositions by the Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar , his daughter Anoushka Shankar and other Indian classical musicians.

As a child, I was introduced to Indian Classical Music (Vocal), along with Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti by my Bengali music teacher who used to come home to teach me and my siblings. I always had the interest, however, over the years, classical music for me had receded in the background. Thanks to these compositions, my interest in classical music has revived and I actively listen to Indian Classic Music, both vocal and instrumental, and enjoy it.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Wall Art at Chennai Central Railway Station in News

Wall painting at Chennai Central Railway station had kept me so busy, along with office work and other things, that this post has been long overdue. Well, just wanted to share regarding this recent wall painting project which I was working on. I was Invited by Southern Railway (India), Chennai Division, “to create art work at Chennai Central Railway Station to improve the aesthetics and visual appeal of the heritage structure”. This was to be done as a voluntary service (shramdaan) for Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission that has been launched by Indian Prime Minister.

I started painting on a blank wall on 31st January 2015. Many people passing by stopped to talk and ask about the painting. The News 7 (Tamil) TV Channel approached me for an interview when I was painting the first part of the wall at the station on 4th Feb 2015 and featured about the painting in their 7 pm prime time news on the same day. This news clip Swachh Bharat Mission: Woman artist beautifies Chennai Central Station available online on this link and you can see below as well.

The New Indian Express, in it's supplement 'City Express', Chennai, Saturday, 7 February 2015 published about the wall painting that I was doing at Chennai Central railway station in their article NIFT Professor Paints a 'Clean Picture' at Central. Even though they got my designation wrong (should be Associate Professor, NIFT), thanks to the newspaper for recognising the effort.

News about wall painting in the New Indian Express'
supplement 'City Express', Chennai, 7th Feb. 2015

New Indian Express' supplement 'City Express', Chennai, 7th Feb. 2015, writes
about Chennai Central wall painting by Seema Kumar, Associate Professor, NIFT

The mural painting was done as three parts of the wall, as three different compositions from 31st Jan to 23rd Feb 2015, not each day during this period as I also had classes and office work to take care of. Although it has been physically very tiring but mentally a very fulfilling activity. Here are some photographs showing the entire stretch of the wall, the three parts, and each of the parts separately, as well.

Overall view of the painted wall at Chennai Central Railway Station
Artist: Seema Kumar, Associate Professor, NIFT

Painted stretch of the wall at Chennai Central Railway Station

The wall painting and NIFT was mentioned again in another article Railways Opens up New Platform for Artistic Palettes, published by The New Indian Express, in it's supplement 'City Express', Chennai,19th February 2015, where the focus was on the effort taken by Railways. During the same time when I was invited from NIFT, Chennai, for working on the Chennai Central wall painting, other initiatives like the Chennai Street Art Festival was going on supported by Southern Railways' Chennai Division, about which this article mentions, though both were different initiatives.

News about wall painting in the New Indian Express'
supplement 'City Express', Chennai, 19th Feb. 2015,

There is a lot more if I start writing about my experience at the station while doing the painting, or sharing the photographs of different phases, but maybe in later posts. Do share your views and feedback about this wall. Hope it helps to motivate people and travellers crossing the Chennai Central Railway Station to keep the surrounding areas clean and beautiful :)