Over two dozen paintings dot the walls, and Sirpi Jayaraman’s technique shines through in each piece. Strokes — small, curvy and pointed, come together all across the canvas to create breathtaking details. The central piece at the exhibit is ‘Thyanam’. A colourful image, in which a tree, on whose trunk a face has been fashioned, looks upon serenely as if meditating. Peacocks, women, village scenery are all the recurrent motifs in the paintings displayed. Another large canvas of a flautist stands out for its slightly varied technique. In this painting, the browns dominate and the strokes are bolder and the setting more abstract. Next to it, in complete contrast, sits another portrait on a flautist. The entire setting looks windy… The paintings on display are also titled innovatively. Like ‘Thyanam’, there’s also ‘Abhinayam’, ‘Thaalam’, ‘Layam’, etc.
Sirpi Jayaraman is a Puducherry-based artist who recently celebrated 25 years in art. The sculptor, music composer, poet and social thinker has been the principal of the School of Arts and Crafts Bharatiyar Palkalaikoodam, Puducherry. The award-winning artist has over 100 exhibitions and 10 books on fine arts, poetry and the history of arts to his credit. He has been recognised by the UNESCO as a sculptor for his monument / sculpture of Tamil refugees in granite, weighing 4,000 kg.
The exhibition of his works is on till October 31 at Gallery Sri Parvati, Eldams Road.
