Often calm and placid, but in constant motion, beautiful yet stormy, the sea has always been a source of fascination and inspiration to artists.
It is the same for Unnikrishnan Arakkuparambu as he captures the different moods of the sea – tranquil yet tempestuous – on canvas.
If one painting has a woman clad in a swimsuit standing near the playful waves, another depicts the sun setting over the still Arabian Sea as yet another shows waves crashing on the rocks.
Scenes of life at sea are depicted too, of fishermen rowing out to sea on their boats, of their boats returning laden with catch as suggested by the crows flying up and above, and of the fishermen done for the day, their boats lined up near the jetty.
Flowers in bursts of red, blue and white blossom on canvas too, while a herd of horses gallop in the wind. Cranes seem as if they are dancing as they flap their wings.
A self-taught artist who polished his skills by attending various art workshops, Unnikrishnan’s collection of works are far from amateurish as the fine strokes of his brush bring each of his subjects to life.
“I have always enjoyed drawing as a child. However, I had to put my passion for art on hold as I had to discontinue my studies after my SSLC due to various reasons. I took up part time and night time courses and retired as deputy manager productions, ISRO. I currently work part time as a consultant engineer for Godrej Aerospace. I hate staying idle, so during my free hours, usually after lunch, I draw or paint. Each of my painting takes three to four hours,” says Unnikrishnan.
The 66-year-old says most of his frames are scenes he has seen in daily life. “Like that painting of those skyscrapers. It is the night scene in Dubai. And that picture of a man on a bullock cart, I saw him riding his cart in Karamana. I however set him against green fields and not amidst heavy traffic. I haven’t placed any captions for my painting as all of them are self-explanatory.”
‘Signature’, a collection of Unnikrishnan’s paintings, is on display at Museum Auditorium.
Apart from his works in acrylic, 50 of his pencil sketches on various subjects are neatly stacked in a corner. “I had to place them in a corner as I do not have the space to display them.”
The exhibition is on until May 25. Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
