Ella's brush with art

AT the age of 18 Ella Prakash gave up her ambition of pursuing an art degree but not her dream of becoming an artist.

Today at 46, she has established herself as one of the island's most talented artists and is currently holding her third exhibition, Extreme Angles, at her own gallery in Hoora until Saturday.

Former Indian school pupil, Ella began her journey into art at the age of 12 when she started using water colours.

Self-taught and determined to keep her passion alive, she held her first exhibition at the Bahrain Art Society in Budaiya, where she was a member, alongside well-known Bahraini artists in 1984.

However, after high school her father, well-known jeweller Devji, asked her to follow customs and discontinue her studies.

She said: "I obeyed him but continued learning art on my own. I read plenty of books that I collected from my travels and studied art."

Her moment of glory came when the then Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Bahrain, Ghazi Al Gosaibi, bought her first painting ever - a depiction of old Bahrain.

She said: "I was so thrilled. He even sent me a letter of appreciation afterwards wishing me 'success and a bright, and colourful, future'."

Ella's artful progress ground to halt when, at the age of 23, she got married and laid aside her palette in favour of family matters and raising her three children.

But she said: "When my eldest daughter turned 15, I realised it was time to start again. I had enough of sitting idle and cooking. I wanted to take my art onto a professional platform. I wanted to start all over again."

In 2004, she started her own Ella Art Gallery and a high point in her career so far came during the 2005 Formula One season when she was approached by the EDB and Yalla! Bahrain, to complete a challenge that earned her fame and recognition.

Over 10 days, Ella was asked to complete 10 paintings from three different venues, starting at the Bahrain International Circuit ... in front of a live audience.

She said: "I was very frightened. I had never done anything on motor sport until then. And the very thought of painting in front of so many people was terrifying.

"But when I started the strokes appeared on their own and before I knew it I had finished the painting and day one was over."

Aside from the Formula One project she has held three exhibitions - two at her own gallery and one at the Crowne Plaza.

Although Ella's work in the past has mostly displayed the different shades, lifestyles and heritage of her home, Bahrain, with the new exhibition she has changed track to a semi-abstract theme.

She said: "Through the exhibition I want to send out a message to every woman ... make your own identity. Every woman must stand up for what she feels is right and do her own thing - there is only one life to live.

"The exhibition is a reflection of me. It was a theme that I thought about six months ago - a peek into my life.

"Aside from my duties as a mother, a wife, I always keep some time off for my art. I manage my time through the day so that I can balance my work life as well as my family life. I would never sacrifice on one thing to gain the other. I take it hand-in-hand.

"With my exhibition I am relieving my frustrations at holding down my ambitions for so long. I have an identity - not just as the daughter of Devji."

As well as her shows in Bahrain Ella has also held an exhibition in the North Indian city of Vrindavan where she displayed 22 pieces of her work.

She said: "I feel it's time for me to move on now. I need to take my art beyond Bahrain and out to the world... starting with India as I have my roots there."

She has already been booked to showcase her work at the renowned Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai, India, in 2010.

She also holds art classes at her gallery for children and adults and in April she began compiling a book on easy techniques for teaching art to children which she hopes to launch next year.