Mazhalai — the lisp of children — is how they see their latest works. That is because artists of the Karuppu Art Collective are constantly reinventing themselves in terms of material, methods and concepts. This newly formed collective promises to be an interesting narrative in the Chennai art scene for both artists and art lovers, because the group has come together with dual intentions — to exchange ideas with each other, and to explore and disseminate the nuances of art to all those interested in art. The collective’s first exhibition was flagged off by the panel discussion The Status Of Chennai Art Movement by Rm. Palaniappan, regional secretary, Lalit Kala Academy; Sadanand Menon, art and culture critic; and Chandru G., art historian, writer and retired principal of the Government College of Fine Arts.
The artists of the Collective happen to be of assorted ages and art disciplines, and include Aparajithan Adimoolam, Chandru G., Ebenezer Sunder Singh, Krishnapriya C.P., Maria Antony Raj, Michael Irudayaraj, Natesh Muthuswamy, Narendran K. and Sharmila Mohandas. Incidentally, all of them happen to be the alumni of the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai. They may be out of college now, but Chandru remains their mentor. “Among other things, he helped us all break free from set moulds and the European baggage,” mentions Natesh, and adds, “Art is the last free democratic space we have for self expression, and Karuppu will be a stage for that.”
Though they formally got together earlier this year, these artists had always been in touch. They decided on the karuppu (black) tag — as a tribute to the black of the sketches that is fundamental to art work; as a symbol of the unknown and the untold, which these artists seek to explore; and also because it paraphrases the fact that art internalises all facets of life. Another aspect that stands out about this collective is that these artists are articulate about art, and their meetings are boisterous occasions. They bask in each other’s company and revel in heated discussions and friendly leg-pulling, breaking traditional notions of artists being solemn.
Art is an individual endeavour. Would belonging to a collective wear off the individuality of their art works? “No, the effect is positive, we learn from each other,” says Krishnapriya. “I would say that the only commonality in our art is that none of us would do decorative art or compromise on our art to cater to markets,” adds Aparajithan. “It is a space for discussion and sharing,” says Michael Irudayaraj. “And of course, a collective does become functionally advantageous when it comes to arranging for gallery space,” Narendran mentions.
The Lisp Of Children includes an eclectic array of art from acrylic-on-canvas and ink-on-paper to fibre-glass sculptures and art work with inset LED lights. The works of the Collective is on display at the residence of Anitha and A.S. Panneerselvan at Cholamandal Artists’ Village on ECR. It will end on December 28 with a panel discussion on modern Tamil artistic milieu, anchored by writers, theatre persons and filmmakers.
For details, visit >Karuppu Art Collective
