A portrait of the Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa welcomes me into the exhibit area. A clever and warm welcome indeed, to Poes Garden. I am at Art Houz on Kasturi Rangan Road, where an exhibition of 100 portraits of Kollywood stars is currently on. If you have always wanted to visit an art exhibition, but held back because you wondered if you would understand the art, or found the setting uncomfortably imposing, this show will be a good way to break-free of that inhibition.
Sirpi Jayaraman, whose paintings exude energy and depict folk culture with a deep understanding, has found a great way to combine his art with a setting that we all love and almost take for granted — cinema. The result is superb. Upon entering the gallery I feel as if I am in a film set, with all my favourite stars, smiling genially at me. The portrait of the celebrated actor Chandrababu with Goundamani for company instantly draws my attention since it looks like a casting coup of sorts. Nearby is the sketch of a suave-looking Sivaji Ganesan.
From T. Rajendran to Ramarajan, you are surrounded by the many different types of ‘stars’ of Tamil cinema! Manorama, Vadivukkarasi, Saroja Devi, Khusbhoo, Revathy, Sridevi… the women of the industry too find representation. The most awe-inspiring moment though is when you walk into the courtyard of the gallery and find three portraits placed on stands — well-known poet Kannadasan flanked by veteran composers M.S. Viswanathan on the one side and Ilaiyaraaja on the other. Sirpi’s unique style dominated by curvy lines and attention to detail (K.P. Sundarambal in her characteristic Avvaiyar get-up and a handsome Muthuraman in a coat and tie) bring alive the portraits.
The exhibition is on till March 7 at Art Houz, Kasturi Rangan Road.
