Riya Smitha Pradeep

Riya Smitha Pradeep

‘Persistent Memories’

Drawing

Graphite Pencil on paper

3 drawings

I chose to use graphite pencil on paper because this is the material I am most confident in and best with. I have used family photographs that were taken during my childhood in India as reference for my nostalgic pieces that captured the essence of childhood and the nature of memories. Through my 3 different yet connected artworks, I aim to establish a sense of place and time in my pieces as my teenage self looks back into these childish bittersweet memories with longing. I aim to create realistic and active moments in my works to create childishness and a notion of peace and tranquillity.

My work looks at the nature of time, and how it goes quickly, leaving only a few remnants of our past lingering in our mind. As I age and grow into a woman, I keep looking back at my childhood with longing, for then I had no responsibilities and weight on my shoulders. Through these works, I touch myself personally and aim to teach the audience how we grow and learn through our past, while remembering to always have fun during our younger years. The symbolic melting of figures in the works show the time running out of our reach, leaving only these memories for us to look back at. The melting and the still life in some of the panels also take influence from Salvador Dali’s works to incorporate his universal idea of time. My title ‘Persistent Memories’ is also a take on Dali’s ‘The Persistence of Memory’ as by age, it’s only the memories that still stay forever in our hearts.

Influencing Artist: Salvador Dali