Smitha Menon’s home is awash with shades of blue, those hues that colour Indian mythology - the blue of Vishnu, Krishna, Rama, and many others. On an easel in a corner of the drawing room sits a painting, this one is in shades of red and ochre, “The blue is not intentional, it just happens. And see this is not,” she says pointing to the painting. It’s paintings everywhere in varying stages of completion. She was gearing up for her first exhibition in the city, which opened on October 20 at the Gallery of Contemporary Arts in the Kerala Museum of History and Arts.
Smitha (who goes by Tina) calls this exhibition ‘Upakatha’, which, is an episode or a by play. “I wanted to tell the stories of the lesser-known characters, which is why call the series Upakatha,” she says. The focus is on the minor characters or minor stories of Indian mythology. She stresses the ‘Indian mythology’ part, India’s stories with nothing to do with religion. Of the follies, foibles, loves and mischief of mythological characters.
Each has a fascinating story, the ones that are not heard commonly, the result of research into each. “It is a vast subject. For instance I read Devadutt Patnaik, his writing is very visual. I sketch the visual that comes to mind and then do my research before painting,” she says.
She points to the large painting that dominates the room and lists - “the fourteen things came out of the churning of the ocean and these are those - Kamadhenu, Kalpavriksham, Airavata, Parijata, Uchachaisravas (the horse), the moon...” As she narrates the story it is evident she’d make a good story-teller too.
This is her second exhibition, the last one was more than four years ago in her hometown, Thiruvananthapuram. The gap was unintentional as she was busy with ‘other things’; she got married (her husband is musician John Thomas of the band Motherjane) and moved to Kochi.
From studying fashion to running a design school, being a graphic artist in between (studying and working in the United States), to an artist is a long way, she laughs, “I was teaching, telling my students to follow their dreams, their creative side and I realised I wasn’t doing the same.” So she took a detour to art and it so happened that everything she did before, in many ways were part of the design, led up to what she does now. “I never set out wanting to make a career out of art. Everything fell into place.” Smitha had relocated from Dubai to Thiruvananthapuram, chasing the dream.
Though not formally trained, her education as designer and graphic artist helped hone her skills. “Being a graphic artist it taught me about lines, about what to place where and how and the textures are the result of studying fashion design.” Her works, acrylic on canvas, are layered showing expertise with her medium and subject. Of her preoccupation with drawing humans, she says, “Even when I started drawing I never drew scenery. I always drew human forms.” Her being self-taught brings an element of freshness to her works.
Reticent and publicity shy, she attributes this exhibition to her father, husband and a friend, Praveen. She says she’d much rather paint than be in the public eye.
The exhibition concludes on October 26.
