There’s no stopping creativity. It always lies in waiting, sometimes dormant, until you summon it up. And then it flows. That seems to be one of the underlying themes of ‘The Relentless Creations,’ a group exhibition of sculptures, drawings and paintings that’s on at Alliance Française de Trivandrum’s Art Gallery.
At least that’s how it is for Aswany Kumar, a fine arts graduate, now an art teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kodunganur.
“For the past 15 years I have not picked up my palette, save to teach my students. Then, I was invited to take part in an art residency and suddenly art just flowed,’ says Aswany, pointing to five of his pen and ink paintings that’s on display.
“I used to paint rather surrealistic art. Now I find myself drawn to figurative, themed on nature. I find that my oeuvre has also been influenced by my students and they way they approach life and also by the relentless drawing on the chalkboard as I teach them the art of fine art,” he explains.
Usha Ramachandran with one of her sculptures
Sculptor Usha Ramachandran has displayed another dimension of creativity. Instead of the reed-like, figurative bronze sculptures she is known for, Usha has now gone for semi-figuratives in two of her three works on display – a sculpture of Ganesha and that of a monkey, it’s eyes closed deep in thought. “My sculptures are usually glossy and smooth, now my hands seem to have automatically fashioned them into distorted shapes and rougher textures. This is the next step of my creativity, perhaps?” she ponders.
Vijayakumar Karakkamandapam, meanwhile, has displayed five paintings, acrylics on canvas, from his ‘Landscape’ series. However, these are not the pretty, bright and hopeful ones that come to mind when we think of the word. Vijayakumar has created landscapes that are dark and dystopian; landscapes enclosed by nets and cages, symbolising the environment that’s under siege. “The creativity and freedom of the environment is now restricted by man’s deeds,” explains the artist. Kottayam-based artist Udayakumar T.R. has exhibited four paintings from his ‘Pollachi Kazchakal’ series, done in tea-washed paper with charcoal and acrylic. Inspired by life in the palm-filled village of Kinathikadavu, in Pollachi in Tamil Nadu, he has juxtaposed vignettes from modern life with the agrarian landscape. “We go to peaceful places like Kinathikadavu to escape from our lives. For the people there, who depend on farming for their livelihood, there is no escape,” he explains.
The exhibition has been curated by sculptor and art teacher V. Satheesan and it also features a few of his own works. Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil, Gopidas. A.K., and young Nandana. J .D. have also exhibited their art works. ‘The Relentless Creations’ is on till August 30, 10 am to 6 pm.
