Panthirukulam, a group of 12 artists, which is conducting its ninth exhibition in the city, is back with a collection of classy works. This year they are not bound by a theme. So, each artist has given a free reign to his imagination, much to the delight of the viewer.
Mural artist Sasi K. Warrier has digressed from the strictness of the mural to experiment freely with style. He has painted a Ganesha playing the flute in mixed media in textured acrylic background of orange and green. “The Ganesha is often considered a God of the senses. So why can’t he play the flute?” he asks.
Seemon Joseph, whose watercolour has created a name for itself, this time has produced two works in acrylic. One is a steed done in black fluid outline on a coffee-coloured background and the other is just black lines and curves on coffee canvas.
Manoj Mathasseril, too, has brought out a “different” painting this time—an extremely intricate work done in watercolour, coloured inks and poster colour on hand-made paper. It represents the solar system with the sun in the centre and all of life’s beings at the bottom of the canvas. This is his original style, insists Manoj, whose second work is a depiction of Krishna done in languid strokes.
Sunil Moothedath’s love for Nature remains unchanged in his ‘Mazhanoolkanavukal’, an acrylic work done with knife, which takes on the many colours of rain and the night.
Balakrishnan Kadirur's ‘Sleeping Babies’ is an arresting blue and black work in oil and acrylic. While A.A. Ajithkumar paints the common water hyacinth in mysterious shades of purple and black, James P.J. paints a realistic portrait of Mattancherry and the Chinese fishing nets.
Other artists whose works are on display are T.N. Subodh Kumar, Rajan Kadalundi, T.N. Raju, Shyju R., and Joby Ravindran. “The success of Panthirukulam is its unity and the like-mindedness of the artists,” says artist T. Kaladharan, owner of Nanappa Art Gallery. The show is on till October 12 at the Nanappa gallery and is organised by Orthic Creative Centre and Indian School of Arts.
