The human figure, especially the feminine form, has been a critical and recurring motif in most of the works of artist Kattakuri Ravi. At the three-day solo exhibition of the artist that was inaugurated at Hawa Mahal on Tuesday, 25 of Ravi’s works on the ‘Women’ series are on display. Integrating the classic style of Madhubani paintings with a contemporary twist, Ravi’s works go on to create a magnificence of colour. His unmistakable style depicts the women with pouted lips. Among his works that are on display at the exhibition, the artist has also included two of his latest canvases which bend towards a realistic depiction of the feminine face. “I have been exploring this new style in my latest works. In these, I intend to convey a story through a series of images in the background with the woman’s figure as the central theme,” artist Ravi told The Hindu .
The painter artist who completed his BFA from Andhra University and his masters in fine arts from Viswa Bharati University, Santiniketan, said he was influenced by Madhubani paintings during his days at Santiniketan. On artists who have had a deep influence on his style of work, Ravi said he had been greatly inspired by the works of artists Sita Devi and Gangi Devi who are famous for their Madhubani style of painting. His works have been exhibited at shows in cities like Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi and Baroda and also at international exhibitions at Germany, South Korea, China including the Olympic Fine Arts Gallery at the Beijing Games.
The artist is gearing up for his solo show in New Delhi in January next year for which he is planning to showcase eight of his new works along with his earlier canvases. The exhibition at Hawa Mahal is open till September 29.
