Lalit Shastri
In a soulful confluence of bureaucracy and brushwork, Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Anurag Jain on Tuesday, 8 April 2025 inaugurated “Sanskriti Ki Sarjna”, a solo painting exhibition by former IAS officer Alok Srivastava, at the Rangdarshini Gallery of Bharat Bhavan.
Organised under Bharat Bhavan’s Special Art Exhibition Series, this showcase of Srivastava’s recent works in watercolour will remain open for public viewing till 20 April 2025.
The inauguration event witnessed the presence of several distinguished guests, including former Chief Election Commissioner of India O.P. Rawat and State Election Commissioner Manoj Shrivastava, along with a number of serving bureaucrats, academicians and prominent citizens. Their presence added a note of warmth and camaraderie, underscoring the wide admiration Srivastava commands both as a civil servant and as an emerging artist.
Srivastava, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and a 1984-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, retired in 2020 as the Union Secretary for Law and Justice. Post retirement, he has served as Technical Member of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal till 2024. Presently, he is associated with National Highway Tribunal and a reputed solar energy company. He has also taken up a teaching assignment with the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs. A distinguished career in public service eventually gave way to a more introspective journey—one that found vivid expression through colour, paper, and nature. His solo painting exhibition was held at the India International Center, New Delhi in 2024.
To be honest, a creative joy is felt through paintings, and the exhibition of my work at Bharat Bhavan can be called its creative outcome – Alok Srivastava at the inauguration.
A Life Reimagined in Watercolours
Srivastava’s artistic inclination dates back to his IIT days, but it was during the COVID-19 lockdown that he immersed himself seriously in painting. Fascinated by the fluid, spontaneous nature of watercolours, he self-trained through online resources and practiced extensively over four years—developing a distinctive style grounded in realism and inspired by nature.
His works explore nature’s many moods—subtle gradations of light, shadow play among trees, flight of birds, and the calm majesty of wild animals. Srivastava’s approach blends impressionistic techniques with lifelike detail, creating atmospheric landscapes and vivid portraits of the natural world.
Alok Srivastava’s command over the fluid unpredictability of watercolour is impressive. His compositions feel like visual haikus—short, meditative, and profound.
Viewers Speak: Reflections from the Gallery
Photo journalist and wildlife photographer Manish Shashi Shukla: “As someone who has spent long years photographing the wild, I can say these paintings resonate with an authentic love for nature. There’s reverence in every brushstroke.”
A young College Art Student, keenly observing the hummingbird painted so lifelike remarked: “The birds, the trees, the skies—everything here feels so alive yet calming. It’s the kind of work that makes you want to pick up a brush yourself.”
Another visitor stated: “I didn’t expect to be moved like this. The quiet emotions in these paintings stay with you, long after you leave the gallery.”
Selected Works on Display
Solitude in the Wild
A graceful deer painted in soft watercolour washes, surrounded by misty forest hues. The composition captures the animal’s gentle poise and the serenity of undisturbed nature.
Whispers of the Forest
A lush treescape towering over a road in Ranthambore. A fine balance of tone and transparency marks this tranquil woodland scene.
Glory of Birds
The world of Birds and depth of perspective bring a cinematic quietude to the frame.
Gandolas of Venice
Gondolas floating gently in Venice, captured in soft watercolour hues. With delicate brushstrokes and atmospheric light, Alok Srivastava evokes the timeless romance and quiet charm of the floating city‘s stillness and renewal.
This is News 