Artist Anser Soophy’s days these days are filled with painting the buses of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation. His 15 years of experience as a commercial artist after graduating in drawing and painting from Universal Arts, Kozhikode, is now being utilised or rather wasted by the KSRTC. But Anser never stopped painting. When the cupboard under his bed could not accommodate any more paintings, he started posting them on Facebook. This caught the eyes of many connoisseurs who encouraged him to hold an exhibition.
The maiden exhibition of paintings and sculptures of Anser that began at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery here on Tuesday has something to satisfy every connoisseur as the artist does not believe in sticking to one style or medium. He has experimented with everything from watercolour to acrylic while landscapes, portraits as well as abstract works are safe in his hands. “I am not doing this in a formal way. It’s my time to explore,” says Anser. “The people who come to watch these paintings have diverse opinions. Those who have some idea of art enjoy those paintings that convey some message. But for the layman, the perfection in a portrait or a landscape is the measure of an artists’ talent,” he says. The exhibition features paintings that are as old as 20 years. A close exploration of these dated works reflects the evolution of the artist. It is clear that his obsession with realistic art has considerably faded to accommodate modern ideas.
The exhibition, inaugurated by artist Kabita Mukhopadhyaya, will conclude on October 22.
