The city just had a brush with the creativity of Chandigarh-based artist Smrit Luthra, whose works largely explore the quiet beauty of nature and the maelstrom of its hues.Presented in oil on canvas, the exhibition, held at Thakar Singh Art Gallery, invitedviewers to pause and reconnect with the nature. Luthra’s paintings reflect a sensitive engagement with nature and not merely as a subject to be observed but as a living presence with its own moods and rhythms.Through colour, texture and light, she transforms familiar elements of the natural world into evocative visual experiences. Each canvas carries a sense of stillness while retaining the energy and vitality inherent in nature.“I saw painting as an escape from the mundane. As my husband was in a government job, we travelled across the country a lot and my process of knowing a new place was through solo explorations and long walks. One day, I thought of sharing all those memories through my paintings,” said Luthra.Her travels, therefore, became an important part of her artistic process. The landscapes she encountered during her solitary explorations provided not only visual inspiration but also moments of reflection, which she later translated onto canvas.The richness of oil painting lends particular depth to her work. Layered colours and expressive brushwork create an interplay of light and shadow, allowing each painting to unfold gradually before the viewer. Earth, sky, water, foliage and changing natural forms become vehicles for expressing emotions that are universal yet deeply personal.Rather than reproducing landscapes in a literal manner, Luthra focuses on capturing their atmosphere and spirit. The paintings encourage viewers to look beyond the physical elements of nature and engage with the emotions they evoke.