It is artist Jeff Murray’s journey across countries with his pen ink that’s alluring the visitors at Kalakriti Art Gallery in Hotel Trident. He is visiting Hyderabad for the first time and shares the excitement of coming here. “I wanted to experience and discover the place and I do love it here,” he says as he walks us through his exhibits mounted on the walls. Stylistically unique, the pen ink art is excitingly different from the usual lot. From countries and continents to the four-legged pieces and a dream sequence, the works compel you to look closer.
As you glance across his confident and clear lines, the country pieces look special for their silhouette shape and the nature, foliage, cityscapes, animals and music instruments unique to the place. There is also a tiny element of colour shining bright amidst the predominantly black ink lines.
Jeff points out, “I like to touch down on some subjects which have been my popular ones like the country pieces. I literally started with New Zealand which was done two years ago. It was an experimental piece and I wanted the silhouette shape of the New Zealand made out of nature, foliage and trees. I put in a few local animals and instruments which were inspired by where I was at the time. When I displayed the piece at galleries and exhibitions, I discovered that people loved it. I figured that this could be my game changing sort of piece.” .
With his research on internet and books, Jeff says he wanted it to be accurate in a way that people can relate to it. “I love the fact that some people looked to these pieces and said, ‘Oh, that’s where I am from and I am really glad that you’ve drawn that there because that’s where that’s from.”
When he went to parts of South East Asia to gain new inspiration and touched down India and met his business partner, it was his intention to create a piece of India. His India piece stands highlighted at a corner with a tiger’s head in the centre. He also expresses his obsession for animals. “I love animals. As a child before I knew anything about religion, history, people or culture, one thing I knew was I knew animals very well. I knew that India, that’s where the tiger came from. Before I created that piece, all I knew was I wanted a big tiger's head in the middle. And I didn't care about if it looked right or not. All I knew was I wanted that to be India for me,” he says.
The pieces on North America or New York brings out the artist’s clear vision and care for even minute details. His work on a dream sequence titled ‘What’s in a mind’ showcases an eye in the middle. “It could be your eye or anyone’s eye. It is the natural conscious state while you are driving a car and everything else goes on in your head as you go on,” states Jeff. His works on four-legged species including a tiger, peacock or an elephant are based on the spiralling style where the patterns seem they are floating away. “A tiger is a great thing to draw and it is just to show that not everything is black and white,” he says.
Jeff says he is one of those who will never go back and revisit his work. “When I sign a piece that’s it; I don’t touch it again. I feel that’s the best I could do then and this is what I can do now. I am not one of those people who, if I made a mistake, I will toss the paper. I will just improvise on the idea,” he says.
As a parting shot, Jeff says “I don’t consider it a chore or work, as it is absolute pleasure. I know in my head that the journey is never finished.”
