As part of their course, students of the Government College of Fine Arts (GCFA), Kumbakonam, visited the architecturally-rich Darasuram temple. There, they observed the sculptures that narrated the stories of the 63 Nayanars. They returned to college and got working on the series.
Four of those works, including those on Kungiliyakkalaya Nayanar, who straightened a tilted Lingam by pulling it using a rope tied to his neck, and Kannappa Nayanar who plucked out his eyes for Shiva, are on display at the Kasthuri Sreenivasan Trust Gallery. The works, in acrylic and relief, are in three parts — a recreation of the original sculpture, its painted version and a figurine of the Nayanar. These creations are part of the fourth exhibition in the Silver Jubilee series, organised by the Trust in collaboration with the GCFA, Kumbakonam.
R. Haribabu’s self-portraits are an ode to Rembrandt. He’s recreated the original Rembrandt portrait and also painted himself in the same setting and light. K. Nattarasan’s optical illusion piece, ‘Traffic’ will leave you rubbing your eyes. To think that straight lines drawn using a black marker can be so effective!
There are the usual series that detail still life, landscapes and pastoral life. One on a village drummer recreates the feel of a temple festival. An entire wall is taken up by graphic prints done by the students. Mahendran’s cock fight, a textured piece in oil paint, is striking. Another work has a rat trap as the subject. There are many abstracts too, in dreamy pastels and blues.
Over 200 works of art — paintings, bronze sculptures, masks, mixed media, posters and photographs — are spread across four rooms. Some of them are also on sale. All these works have been created by BFA and MFA students of painting, sculpture and visual communication.
The exhibition is on till February 28, from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Call 0422-2574110 for details.
