Now, you may or may not have been lucky enough to spot a tiger in your last safari trip, but if you manage to walk through Jain’s exhibition, titled A Tale Untold, there is enough wildlife here to feed your own wild soul. We sat down with the artist for a quick chat about her debut exhibition.

What inspired you to put this exhibition together?

I like making animal paintings. Actually, it’s safe to say that animals are my weakness; I’m very passionate about them. I have four dogs and I adore them. Over the years, I kept painting animals and my first exhibition has a collection of 34 paintings that were collected through that time, starting with my horse paintings from the year 1988.

What were some of your favourite brushes with wildlife?

I have been on a lot of jungle holidays, from Ranthambore and Gir in India to Africa. I’ve stayed at some beautiful game reserves like Sabi Sabi and Singita. I’ve also been to Nairobi National Park and Masai Mara in Kenya. Each one has been very special. Taking inspiration from them, my exhibition has paintings of horses, tigers, cheetahs, elephants, ducks, birds and many other wild animals.

Nita Ambani is known to encourage art and artists, and we heard that she played a key role in encouraging you to put this exhibition together as well?

Nita and I have been travelling together on wildlife holidays for years. She kept urging me, saying, “why are you wasting your talent, you must go public”. Back then, I thought I didn’t have time. One day, my 36-year-old daughter, who helms a website called Jobsforher.com said that I should gift myself an exhibition and come out there. And so, this happened. Nita inspires me to believe that you can manage it all; she runs her home, her work, manages her children and demonstrates a good work-life balance. She makes me believe that if you really want to do something, you can find the time to do it.

Tell us about some of your favourite wildlife-spotting holidays.

We were in Okavango Delta in Botswana when the car’s tyre got punctured. We got out and got it fixed. Just when we got into the car, we saw a lion pass by. I can never forget that visual.

What is your next project?

After six months, I will launch a collection of nude drawings that I have learnt from London.

Scroll on for a first look at the new exhibition.

Voyage Within (2016), oil on linen canvas, 40” x 58”

My Tribe (2008), oil on linen canvas, 24” x 30”

My Tribe (2008), oil on linen canvas, 24” x 30”

Unbridled (1988), oil on linen canvas, 24” x 34”

On Mission (2018), oil on linen canvas, 40” x 27”

Satiated (2018), oil on linen canvas, 52” x 70”

Solitary Epiphany (2018), oil on linen canvas, 40” x 55”

Mystical Encounters (2018), oil on linen canvas, 50” x 38 ”

Time Remembered (2018), oil on linen canvas, 34” x 48”

Artist Sushma Jain

Although Jain is largely a self-taught artist, over the years, she has completed several formal art courses, thus building a solid foundation and keeping in touch with her creative side even as she got married and raised a family. Besides completing a foundation course at the Indian Art Institute and the art teacher’s diploma at Sir JJ School of Arts, Jain has also taken courses at the Central Saint Martin School of Art and Design in London. “My family has always been supportive of my art. First, it was my father, and then my husband has been a huge support. For many years, my children have been telling me to focus completely on art,” she says.

Sushma Jain with son Harsh and daughter-in-law Rachana

Jain draws inspiration from the natural world. In fact, most of her works in the show bring together her main passion, art, with her other great love, animals. These are works she has executed over the years, as she travelled to wildlife hotspots such as the Ranthambore National Park and Gir National Park, as well as safaris in African forests.

Sushma Jain and family with Ambani family and Piramal family.

The opening night of A Tale Untold, Jain’s collection of oils on canvas, was a glitzy affair with Nita and Mukesh Ambani lighting the inaugural lamp amidst a large gathering of industrialists and art enthusiasts. Nita Ambani, who shares a 33 year long friendship with the artist, said on the occasion that while to the world Jain’s art career marks it beginning today, for her, Sushma’s creativity has always reflected in her life, be it the days when she was winning medals for her work in school and college or her generous help with the kids’ art projects.

For years, even as her focus was on her children and family, Jain held on to her passion and cultivated her talent, Nita Ambani said. The several holidays that the families took in the wild together were always captured by Jain with her camera and her photographic paintings in the exhibit are a reflection of the tranquility that she experienced on these journeys.

Jain has been an animal lover since her childhood and after her lens caught the fascinating life of the jungle on several trips to the forests of Gir, Ranthambore and Africa, she decided to go ahead and recreate those memories on her canvas. Be it the Satiated, a magnificent tiger gulping a drink at the pond or the Maternal Instinct, featuring a leopard with her cubs, her work draws from the simplistic beauty and pristine landscapes, raw and untouched by human intervention.

The exhibit, which is set to be on display from 22 to 27 August, attracted a large crowd on its opening ceremony, and some of the paintings were sold just in the first few hours of the evening. A mother duck and her ducklings treading through the water, boats moored on a wharf and a house amidst pine trees nestled in the snow are some of her works through which she attempts to showcase journeys undertaken or ones that are about to commence. Human figures are sparse in her lifelike portraits, yet in works like Dalliances With Nature, one can see the lone surfer battling the tumultuous waves of the ocean. In One With Nature, another surfer is depicted walking along the beach with the soft waters grazing his feet.

Animals — elephants, zebras and giraffes — and a solitary bird are ample in her collection. “The exhibition is an opportunity for me to present these beautiful wild animals in their natural environment and sensitise the viewers to the importance of wildlife protection and conservation,” Jain says.

“Similarly, I wanted to present landscapes that are unspoiled, which again drive home the point of being conscious about our natural resources. Painting wildlife has given me joy because when I paint animals I feel like they are speaking to me, that I can trust them, feel them and become friends with them, and today I get to share all my friends with you,” she adds, talking about her works.

For years, she acted as the support system for her husband (industrialist Anand Jain) and her children, helping them chase their dreams, but it was now her moment to shine, her moment to be in the spotlight, Jain’s son Harsh said on the evening.

“She is an inspiration to mothers, wives and now even grandmothers,” he added.

Photographers queued up and clicked on gleefully as industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Ajay Piramal made their way to the exhibition. Many socialites and art lovers also attended the event.

Nita and Mukesh Ambani lit the inaugural lamp to begin the opening ceremony of the exhibition. During the inauguration, Nita Ambani said, “this evening is truly special because we are showcasing a talent to the world.”

“Ever since I can remember Sushma has been a brilliant creative person. I remember her beautiful sketches from holidays…and her stunning portfolio from her art course in London and today her artwork is especially nostalgic for me. Together, we have taken several holidays in the wild. Both our families share a passion for wildlife and seeing her photographic paintings here today, I am transported to the moments of tranquility that we shared together in the wilderness.” she added.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition wasn’t only a crowded event but also a successful one, with Jain selling a few paintings within the first few hours.

Speaking to News18, Jain said that it was Nita Ambani who had encouraged her for years to showcase her work to the public. This exhibition also coincides with Jain’s 60th birthday but the artist it seems has just begun.

Her subjects are mostly animals with, especially expressive eyes. “I love animals and when I paint them I feel like they have come alive. I can feel their skin, and I feel like they are not painting anymore, but they have become real,” said Jain.

Jain confessed that she has traveled extensively especially to national parks of different countries and forest reserves to get the perfect photographs of animals. She said that she mostly draws from her photographs, and her paintings reflect that, as they sometimes have a photographic finish.

While most of the pictures on display are oil paintings on canvas, the artist has experimented with many different mediums including charcoal, crayons and water paints. The series that is on exhibition also represents the beauty and simplicity of the natural world. The artist said not only wants to draw viewers’ attention to the natural world with her paintings but also wants to sensitise people about the importance of wildlife and nature conservation.

Each of her paintings, be it the Voyage Within, which shows a tiger bathing in a river gazing at a distance, or Unchained Melody, which shows a mother duck leading her ducklings, captured an emotion that is intimate as well as universal. There is a simplicity in her work which is appealing and resonated with most present at the inauguration.

Also present at the inauguration were entrepreneur Dinesh Kanabar, Reliance Industries Executive Director Nikhil Meswani, Akash Ambani and his fiancee Shloka Mehta and Enam Group Chairman Vallabh Bhansali.

Nita Ambani lights the traditional lamp as others look on. During the inauguration, Nita Ambani said, “this evening is truly special because we are showcasing a talent to the world.” (Image: Viral Bhayani)

Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani pose for a photo with guests. (Image: Viral Bhayani)

Nita Ambani and Mukesh Ambani arrive for the inauguration of ‘A Tale Untold’, a solo art exhibition by artist Sushma Jain, held in Mumbai on August 21, 2018. (Image: Viral Bhayani)