Rekha’s artistic journey has been unusual and perhaps even extraordinary, a result of an amalgamation of coincidence, destiny and circumstances. Born in 1947, during the year that India gained independence, she grew up in an artistic and politically charged environment that shaped her art practice to a large extent. In a newly formed nation, artists grappled with notions of identity and with reconciling the past with current global phenomena and trends. Politics, society, tradition and geography were key to charting discourses in the creative fields and influenced Rekha as well.

Amidst this, Rekhas’s father, the illustrious K K Hebbar played a vital role in guiding and mentoring her. She grew up in Mumbai in a culturally rich and vibrant environment. Their home was a center of creative activity where artists from The Progressive Arts Group – F N Souza, K H Ara, S H Raza, M F Husain, S K Bakre and H A Gade were frequent visitors. So were several other well known painters, sculptors, writers, dancers and musicians. N S Bendre, K G Subramanian, B C Sanyal, P T Reddy, Sankho Choudhuri, Dr Shivaram Karanth, S A Krishnan, S V Vasu and Mulkraj Anand, among others frequented their home and held ardent discussions. Rekha had the rare opportunity to observe, listen and learn from some of the doyens from various creative fields. She recalls that once, F N Souza at dinner, sketched their family portrait and at another instance, Bimal Roy’s film Do Bigha Jameen was screened on their terrace for the building residents. An assortment of such events underlined their privileged position and highlighted Hebbar’s keen interest in social issues. His socialist concerns ensured that the children contribute and give back to society, and Rekha conducted workshops for underprivileged children for ten years, in Mumbai. This concern for environment and the less fortunate has nurtured Rekha’s art practice and is frequently reflected in her paintings.

As a child, from the age of four, Rekha sketched and painted alongside her father, who went through each and every work of hers with immense pride. Hebbar believed that a formal art education would hamper her individuality and creative expression and encouraged her to study Indian History. He continued to mentor her through discussions, debates and regular practice. Reminiscing about her father, Rekha writes, he once said, inspiration from his children, especially Rekha - ‘whose view ceaselessly refreshed my own artistic perspective’. Rekha’s first art exhibition was held at Jehangir Art Gallery in 1969. The foreword to this show was written by Karl Khandalawala, an eminent lawyer and authority on Indian Miniature Paintings, who had also been a mentor to Amrita Sher-Gil. Rekha was married the same year and then traveled to Los Angeles where she lived for two years. Khandalawala was in fact, instrumental in introducing her to the art world in Los Angeles. The experience of living in the United States enriched her understanding of global art, and writings related to feminism, gender and social inequity deepened her world view. This enabled her to revisit, review and reposition her beliefs, theories and principles related to ‘home’ and art.

Rekha’s art has always been an intuitive process, a response to her environment and surroundings - she found inspiration in the world around her – markets, villages, cities, films and literature. From her early works, exhibited in the United States, which were primarily abstract, Rekha found herself drawn to a semi abstract vocabulary that was anchored in the primacy of colours. A deeply entrenched Indian sensibility and connect to her roots, is reflected in splashes of colours and motifs that are characteristically part of the Indian heritage. These are markers derived from cultural, religious and social associations. A modicum of figural elements completes the narrative.

Rekha has made a conscious effort to ascertain and establish her own identity, her individuality, unfettered by expectations and one that is distinct from her father’s style. Over the years, she has evolved as a colourist – lyrical in its purity and intensity. Childhood memories have often been represented as a kaleidoscope of colours on the canvas, and she elaborates, “Colour has the power to embody and invoke light within each painting.” As a child her father often said that a painting is not a literal exercise where the viewer has to be supplied with a long explanation. “But it is the story of the artist, and whose vocabulary comprises the shapes, surface, texture and colour on the canvas.” Rekha remains a storyteller, weaving colours, textures and motifs into a layered narrative. In 2003, she moved to Bangalore and has lived here since. She continues to work actively for issues close to her heart and runs a non-governmental organization Mali for underprivileged women. She is also a Trustee of the K K Hebbar Art Foundation, which supports deserving artists and art projects.