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 SABRINA SIGA - EQUINE ARTIST
To enable you to re-live some of your most thrilling moments in the quiet ambience of your home, Sabrina Siga has set about capturing the essence of the thoroughbred-speed, grace and power with the delicate and enduring art of watercolours. Her ability to depict the racing scene, imparting an almost incredible sense of movement in capturing man and horse in competitive motion has been acknowledged by critics at home and abroad.
Sabrina Siga was born in 1956 and graduated in fine arts from the University of Madras, India in 1976. Thereafter in 1977 she did a postgraduate course in art with the University of Bombay, India. She has exhibited her work in India, Europe and the United States and has been commissioned by discerning patrons wanting their favorite racehorses portrayed. The list of champions that she has painted include Affirmed, Seattle Slew, Genuine Risk, Codex Kris, The Minstrel, Exceller and
Shergar.
Her style has a deceptive casualness about it, belying the scrupulous adherence to a complex discipline, which is stage managed to create the effect she wants. Sabrina's equestrian exposure was in schooling her husband's string of polo-ponies at the crack of dawn daily. In this manner she began to develop and uncanny ability for seizing upon the most crucial moment in action. Her severest critic has been her husband, polo playing naval officer whose added interest in pig sticking, and racing brought her in contact with the thoroughbred. She soon became utterly absorbed by the magnificence of the perfectly proportioned thoroughbred, the excitement and ambience of the racecourse, and the kaleidoscope of colour brought by the brilliance of the Jockey's silks.
Avoiding the monumental abstractions of natural forms and monochrome washes that seem to be the preferred techniques today, she has simplified or totally eliminated the facets in the background that do not express the subject, so as not to detract from her primary object, the horse, Sabrina's art is emphasis on essence. It is very easy to paint a painting, which is difficult to understand, and vice-versa.
Deeply influenced by Degas and Taulous-Lautrac (both of whom painted horse sports) she has turned away from formality. Rather than keep the composition absolutely balanced with everything neat and clean, she likes things going off the edge thus introducing certain dynamism.
She places great emphasis upon the importance of drawing, because drawing is the foundation of visual art. Without fine draughtmanship, the discipline endured and the mastery achieved, an artist's work will perforce have limited content. To achieve essential quality of ease and the sense of power, Sabrina draws everything equine given the opportunity. There are no gimmicks in the learning process; one toils, digging deep, for else the knowledge is superficial. Institution in art is the result of prolonged tuition. "When you live with art", says Sabrina, "You realise art was made to live with. When it is a part of your home, it means something different from the transient museum experience". Having made equine art her specialty, Sabrina hopes to bring a fresh eye to it.
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