The cultural centre in the heart of the city, Ravindra Kalakshetra is getting a makeover, with the Kannada and Culture Department drafting artists to decorate its walls, starting from the Town Hall canteen till Samsa Auditorium, with vibrant paintings.
“Now the campus has begun to look like an open art gallery… [it] has become a pleasant hangout for art lovers,” says K.A. Dayananda, director of the department.
Those entering the Kalakshetra from the Town Hall gate will be surprised to see the dilapidated canteen window transformed into an artistic-looking door. The huge wall of the generator room too has turned colourful with folklore paintings.
The rehearsal room has paintings of art forms such as Dollu Kunita and Veeragase, while the canteen bears the mark of Tulu culture, with images of Yakshagana and Bhootaradhane performances.
One can also find pictures of other forms of folklore such as Hagaluvesha, Kole Basava, Jogati and Choudike Pada.
Taking inspiration“The wall facing the Samsa open air auditorium is being filled with paintings of leather puppetry. We have tried our best to provide an artistic touch to Kalakshetra on the lines of Bharat Bhavan of Bhopal and Shantiniketan of Kolkata,” says Mr. Dayanada.
Eleven artists, led by D. Mahendra, have filled the 400-foot wall with 30 paintings representing the culture and heritage of Karnataka. Among the artists are K.K. Makali, Krishna Raichur, Priya Angadi, Lingaraju, Ashok Kammar, and Satish Kammar.
