At 78, woman painter debuts with exhibition on Delhi

New Delhi: It’s never too late to pick up the brush and paint out your heart according to 78-year-old Uma Lohtia who is holding her first ever painting exhibition here.

In a tribute to the heritage of the capital city, Lohtia is exhibiting a series of her oil-paintings on monuments in Delhi to mark New Delhi`s centenary celebrations. The exhibition that was inaugurated last evening will continue till December 24. Lohtia had developed a passion for art ever since she attended some evening classes of an art school in Delhi in her youth. But home, family and an embroidery factory took away most of Lohtia`s time, keeping her away from painting. But a shift to America at the age of 60 brought a new turn in Lohtia`s life. "I shifted to America where my daughters live. With extra time in hand, I decided to paint again and my daughters were extremely supportive of my decision. They asked me to paint for their homes and that`s what I did while living the dream of my youth," she said. It was Lohtia`s daughters who suggested to her that she hold an exhibition of her works and everything followed after. "It was very difficult to find an art gallery which was ready to exhibit my works but eventually things started falling in place. Although I have been late in pursuing my dreams but it has happened. It seems that all this is part of destiny," she says. The nearly 80 year old Lohtia through her exhibition ‘The Living Legends of Delhi’ has tried to capture Delhi`s towering monuments, imposing mosques, tombs, and exotic gardens. PTI