Anand M.Bekwad’s watercolour series, “Mystical Landscape” on display at the Alliance Francaise are a soothing balm to the eyes.
Bekwad paints a whole range of landscapes from the roads of Mumbai with its famous heritage buildings in the background, to flowers and the rock temples of Hampi against the hilly background or the seascapes of Mumbai with its ferries or fishermen’s boats.
Bekwad does not really seek to imitate reality, as much as bring out its richness and its endearing qualities through the delicate medium.
In the Mumbai cityscapes, what first catches the eye is the giant monument which looms against the background, sometimes catching the sunlight and sometimes in shadow. This is contrasted by the sense of dynamism he creates in the foreground which is full of movement, through the bustling people.
His watercolours of flowers, mainly red poppies, white lilies or the Kanchan flower are artistic interpretations that showcase both the bold vibrancy of the flower and its colours while highlighting the delicacy of its constitution.
His temple landscapes, on the other hand, are large in scale, covering the temple structure as well as the broad skyscape and the vast space around the temple, which again, appears bathed in sunlight.
Sometimes he also plays with light and shadow, letting it fall on the paved floors of the temple grounds or letting the dome show through a gap between rocks.
His Mumbai seascapes are again an interplay between still and moving objects; he paints the vast, calm sea and sky dotted with ferries and Gateway of India in the background near the docks.
It is both his ability to mix reality with an artistic rendition as well the textures created by his use of watercolours that result in a picture that is pleasing to the eye as well as the heart.
“Mystical Landscapes” will be on view today at the Alliance Francaise, Thimmaiah Road, Vasant Nagar.
For details, contact 40808181.
