By P Abigail Sadhana Rao
There is something poetic about the seashore—a place where the land kisses the sea, a border between two realms. It is a space where we often begin or end things, whether it’s a walk along the beach to clear our mind, the farewell of a boat setting sail, or the calm pause of watching the sun dip below the horizon. Seashores are where transitions occur, both in the physical and emotional sense. These spaces, however, do not hold meaning until we ascribe it to them, much like how life is a collection of experiences that become significant only through personal reflection.
In art, the seashore is a recurring theme, an endless source of inspiration for painters, poets, and dreamers. Artists paint what they see but also what they feel—a quiet tide lapping at their feet or the crashing of waves reflecting the turbulence inside them. The viewer, too, engages with this, either connecting with the artist’s vision or bringing their own interpretation into the space. The beauty of art, like the shore, is in this conversation: it’s not static but evolving with each new gaze, each new meaning applied.
Life itself is much like these visits to the shore. We arrive with baggage—memories, experiences, hopes—and we leave with something more. Sometimes, it’s a renewed sense of peace, or perhaps a new question arises, one we had never asked before. Much like a painting, the shore remains the same in its physical form, but our experiences transform it into something deeply personal.
Geetha Ramasesh’s painting of the early morning seashore evokes a beautiful blend of activity and stillness, capturing the essence of life at the sea’s edge. Her work highlights the enthusiasm of children and adults alike, as well as the quiet bustle of small creatures. In her painting, one can feel the limitless energy of those who gather at the shore alongside the calm space that nature provides for meditation. It’s a delicate balance between movement and stillness—much like life itself. As I reflect on her work, it becomes clear that what we see on the canvas is a culmination of our own perceptions. How we choose to interpret and bring these scenes to life is a deeply personal experience. I find myself drawn to explore the connection between art and the meaning we ascribe to the shores of our own lives.
Early morning conversations of avian visitors on the beach offer a wider perspective, revealing that there’s more to a scene than what exists in our minds. Pradeep Unni’s monochromatic artwork beautifully captures this, with his black-and-white depiction of birds exuding a quiet vibrancy and movement. The simplicity of the palette belies the depth of life and noise within the scene. Infused with subtle cubist influences, Unni’s contemporary work challenges us to see beyond the surface, urging us to explore the geometric complexity and layered perceptions at play. Much like cubism fragments reality to offer new viewpoints, Unni’s work invites us to deconstruct and reassemble meaning, allowing us to discover richness in the seemingly quiet moments of life.
In some ways, shores symbolize thresholds, much like the art world does for the artist. When artists paint, they stand at a metaphorical shore, gazing into the unknown, hoping the viewer connects with their intention—or, even better, makes it their own. Art becomes a vessel for this transfer of meaning, much like the shore becomes a vessel for life’s transitions. Abhinaya Ramadurai through her artwork, “Two on a journey,” depicts a space where two boats await, poised at the edge or perhaps even the beginning, ready to step into a journey, uncertain of what lies ahead but knowing that the journey must be taken, just as one must venture through the vastness of the sea.
Herendra Swarup has beautifully captured the seashore’s dynamic nature, where the waves’ constant motion serves as a metaphor for life’s fluidity. His work reminds us that meaning shifts with time, and ultimately, it’s not the shore that changes, but us. Whether it’s a physical visit to the shore or navigating the shores of change in our lives, these moments are defined by what we take from them. Similarly, art is shaped by the meaning we find in it—or the meaning we leave behind, making both the shore and art vessels for personal reflection and transformation.
The shore becomes what we need it to be, much like how art offers itself to be seen, felt, and understood in countless ways. Our lives are a series of these moments—standing on the edge, looking out, and stepping into the unknown, leaving behind traces of ourselves on the shifting sands.
For more of seashore paintings, explore the curation on Mojarto, Shore-to-Shore