You cannot expect anything less than an artistic explosion when eight women artistes converge to showcase their artistic passions. And what can be a better occasion than the International Women's Day. March 8 will see eight well-accomplished women artistes showcasing their works and their visions on different aspects of being a woman in an exhibition Vermillion Hues at Aperture India, Fergusson College Road. An act that is initiated by art curator Neena Shahani and photographer and the owner of art gallery Aperture India, Jay is a conscious effort to pay a tribute to women across the globe who have managed to rise above the hurdles of life. "Besides being successful artistes, these women have also managed to juggle up their careers, passions and household to the best of their ability," says Shahani. So each one of them presents their interpretation of being a woman.

A galore of 25 paintings by these eight artistes in acrylic and oil paints traverses the highs and lows of the life of a woman. Hence the name Vermillion Hues. "Vermillion makes an integral part of a woman's life, specially if she is married," says jay. So the expression here is also imbued in strong and deep colours. For instance Shilpa Pandit Patole, a Mumbai based artiste and a distinction holder from Sir JJ School of Arts Mumbai is an abstractionist. Her paintings hover around the one object, a woman's handbag. "The two paintings that I have contributed therefore deal with how this simple handbag is so important for a won and it holds this world of mystery," she says. Then there's Shilpa Welkar, another student from JJ School of Art, Mumbai who is contributing six pieces in the exhibition. Her works include mostly figurative paintings in acrylic and most of these are real figures. "In my recent paintings I have focused on the head but the head is a without features. So in that sense it is a semi figurative form of art done in transparent colours," she says.

Another intriguing contribution is being done Dipalle Parmar who has shot pictures through her cellular phone cameras but insists on calling them paintings. "We are so constricted today. I need to travel and do so many other things at the same time and but at the same time I don't wish to compromise on my creativity. So in the 21st century I use the tools of this century, my camera is my brush," she says. In fact the artiste has brought about an effect pf watercolours in all her works that she has clicked in the night in the light of streetlights. Her paintings depict the pressures levied on today's woman, who is expected to be perfect.

The other artistes contributing in the exhibition Gauri Seth who is a self trained artiste and has predominantly focused on human faces and heads where the protagonist is often the contemporary woman. Girija Mirchandani who is a disciple of renowned artistes like Gulam Mohammad Sheikh, Subramanium, Jyoti Bhatt and Jeram Patel delves in vibrant colours on large canvases. Nikki Oberoi , a disciple of the famous artist Bal Wad presents a self portrayal dealing in human emotions. Ulka Adivekar on the other hand has exemplified the multifaceted world of contemporary Indian woman and uses an usual medium of copper sheets as her canvas. Pratima Bapat who tells her story through vertical or horizontal door frames, group of people huddled together through a graphic style.