Passion for painting

"Not so long ago, Nawaz discovered a passion for painting. Ever since, she has been pursuing it with a quiet enthusiasm. I would like to share a very special moment with you — her first ever solo show,” was how industrialist Gautam Sing­hania worded his invitation to wife Nawaz Modi Singhania’s show, titled "Body Art.” The show was inaugurated by senior artist Laxman Shreshta and remained on display at the Gallery of Modern Art of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Bombay from November 23-26, 2008. A fitness trainer by profession, Body Art is also the name of Nawaz’s gym.

The bold and beautiful of Bombay society visited the exhibition, sipping on wine and helping themselves to caviar while admiring the paintings, as splashed by several newspapers on page three. In her collection the artist has dealt with a variety of topics ranging from sports and human anatomy to the plight of women, reported Daily News and Analysis (DNA) on November 24, 2008. The artist’s holistic approach to well-being is undeniably apparent in her works, noted Mid Day of November 19, 2008. In one painting a woman stands under a rainbow-lit shower. "The seven colors symbolize the seven points of Reiki,” Nawaz elaborated to Mid Day. To her the piece is symbolic of spiritual cleansing, not physical. Regarding the painting of a heavily tattooed female back, the artist explained: "Most of us exercise to stay fit, and sculpt our bodies to achieve a certain look. Tattoos also offer a unique method of embellishing the human form.”

Nawaz Modi Singhania: holistic approach

"The sports connect in my paintings comes from my long association with fitness and also my husband’s fascination with such activities,” the artist revealed to DNA. But the painting that both of them connect with most has nothing remotely to do with sports. It’s that of a couple and their child praying to Lord Balaji, the inspiration for which is purely personal. The artist told the DNA correspondent that when she was painting it her two-year-old daughter Niharika would ask questions about it and what she would do with it. "I told her I’m painting this to share my work with others — and will sell it later; just like other painters. Then she asked you’ll sell it for Niku (her nickname), but what about the poor children?” The conversation led Nawaz to decide that the sale proceeds would go for the betterment of underprivileged children, a decision her husband readily endorsed.