The first picture that caught my eye at Aquarelle — the exhibition of watercolours at Art Houz — is Sunil Linus De’s. It showcases the banks of Varanasi, with the steps leading down to the Ganga. A bright sun sun hovers over the temple shrines and dark shadows form a pattern on the ground, while empty boats move on the gentle waves.
De’s other works are vivid and brimming with life and colour. Another untitled painting depicts night life in a busy street after a rain. The bright yellow, orange and red set amid the black background and the wet road reflecting different shades of the night draws the viewer’s attention.
Coimbatore-based A Raja’s paintings shows lively village scenes from across Tamil Nadu. “I am a self-taught artist and have been painting for the last 25 years. I travel a lot, click photographs and make them into paintings.” Nature inspires him, he says especially “the different shades of green. I add my creativity through colours and strokes.”
‘Morning Glory’, a painting by GN Madhu from Kerala, shows a regular early morning street. The hues and tone gave me a warm feeling. ‘Harmony by Nature’ is a serene scene portraying a water body as seen through the branches of a tree. Blue, green and specks of red are the dominant colours.
Sooraj Babu’s ‘Rusted Dreams’ is a bold painting showing an old padlock on a worn out door. The colours and the careful blending make it truly spectacular. His other paintings show landscapes, houses and streets, while in Ramesh Jhawar’s ‘Yellow Taxis, Kolkata’ bustles with life.
‘Dravidian Rustic Life’ by Mopasang Valath is a series of five paintings that includes paddy fields, a lady drawing a kolam in the courtyard and temple chariots conjuring up images of a time gone by. Majestic vintage cars are featured in Kancchn Haanday’s ‘Vintage’ series. Alison Pinto’s series ‘Nepal Mountains’ is especially captivating for its realistic portrayal. ‘Memories of Motherland’ by Nithin KP has thick forests as a common factor. These paintings stand out especially for the detailing the artist has put into it. Karthikeyan Muringoor uses opaque watercolours in his ‘Temple’ series.
Bridget Shibu, operation manager of Art Houz says “Watercolour is not an easy medium to work with. These artists have been very keenly practising water colouring over the years and are very dedicated.”
Art facts
Aquarelle is an exhibition of watercolour paintings of 10 artists. On Art Houz, Jenney’s Residency, Avanashi Road till July 7 from 11.00 am to 7.00 pm. Price ranges from ₹3000 to ₹25000
