Colour Spectrum | Lakshmi Mohanbabu

One is not defined solely by place of birth, origin, or parentage, but shaped by a lifetime of influences — friendships, associations, relationships, travel, books, audiovisual media, and now the vast reach of the digital world.
This series of portraits focuses on the individual, underscoring that the stronger the emphasis on individuality, the weaker the hold of religious, racial, and social divides. In our connected world, perceptions of self often shift when placed in different cultural contexts; paradoxically, diversity can create deeper unity.
Human behaviour and thought reveal both variability and invariance across cultures. Preconceived notions shape what is considered age- or gender-appropriate. Cultural, regional, and racial biases—born from our surroundings—inform how societies perceive issues like sexism, homophobia, and sexual variance. Reactions to colour, too, are fluid, evolving with time, attitude, and cultural narratives.
Throughout history, wars, slavery, and racism have transformed skin colour into a symbol of division between oppressors and the oppressed. Many of these stigmas persist, though they are increasingly being challenged and redefined. Colour itself carries shifting meanings: black is a colour of mourning in some cultures, while white plays that role in others. White may symbolise purity for brides, while in other traditions it is linked to widowhood, where vivid tones like red and yellow are favoured. In the West, blue is for baby boys and pink for girls, but these associations hold no universal truth.
In these paintings, biases of race, gender, age, and sexual orientation are intentionally blurred. Men and women are depicted with metallic lips, colourful skin and hair, and reflective glasses. The glasses symbolise the lens through which the world is perceived—its reflections imprinting uniquely on each individual mind, just as each interpretation and expression remains personal and singular.
The works are mounted on transparent acrylic frames, amplifying the reflections from the glasses. The illusion created suggests that the light passes through both the frames and the figures themselves, reinforcing the idea of perception as fluid, open, and unbound by fixed identities.

Colour Spectrum :

Iris Vision
Iris Apfel the inimitable style icon who blends the old and the new, east and west and colours in every hue! an inspiration!

Canvas Size : 61cm X 91.5 cm
Medium : Acrylic on Canvas