13-19.06.2017

Veena Harrison Pays Tribute to the Greatest Artist of All Time

On June 13-19, 2017, the Himalayan Roerich Estate opened its doors to the exhibition of paintings “Creationscapes II” by the Delhi-based veteran educationalist and artist Mrs. Veena Harrison. A commercial art graduate, she dedicated herself to art education eventually giving 40 years of her life to teaching and school administration. Her commendable efforts in this field contributed to the strengthening of Indo-Russian cultural relations with three of her students receiving the prestigious Soviet Land Nehru Award for painting and subsequently going to Russia on a cultural tour. She came to Naggar in 2006 to found and run the first English-medium educational institution here – John Wesley Public School. Under her leadership the school rapidly expanded and thrived. She will shortly rejoin there as principal.

Throughout her school career, Mrs. Harrison painted, composed devotional songs and meditation music, wrote and directed musicals. Her shifting to Naggar significantly added to her inspiration. She got a chance to regularly paint the Himalayas, which she had known and admired since childhood.

In the exhibition she displayed her acrylic works partly inspired by the beauty of the Kullu valley with its morning mists, glowing sunsets, pure snow and the rage of cherry blossom; partly depicting unspecified landscapes (the sea of poppies under the dark menacing sky, frosty morning forest scenes, and the blazing hues of autumn); seascapes with raging waves and explosive colours of yacht sails; flowers in their natural surroundings; a jolly Venetian scene with its characteristic canals and boats; and several miniature paintings.

In her art work, Mrs. Harrison strives to show the beauty of nature. “Despite the great number of horrible things happening nowadays, the world is still a beautiful place. And it cannot be otherwise being God’s gift to his beloved children. We have to capture its beauty,” says Ms. Harrison echoing the sentiment of Dr. Svetoslav Roerich whose artistic creed was to perpetuate the world’s beauty through art being all the same aware of the negative aspects of existence.

Mrs. Harrison dedicates the present exhibition, and, indeed, all of her oeuvre, to the greatest artist ever – God – whose skillful brushstrokes have painted the world around her and inspired her life and work.