CHENNAI: Artist Joel Fertician has found light at the end of the lockdown tunnel. He has discovered it in a humble unused bulb lying in his KK Nagar home.
Joel, a drawing teacher at Springfield School for the past 10 years, has used the lockdown to improvise on an area of art that he had already carved a niche in. Known for his pot paintings, Joel has now tried his hand at something unique: bulb paintings.
“I’ve done it once before, but this was a golden time and opportunity to popularise it,” says Joel. So, he took out a few unused bulbs and bought a few at a nearby store and started doing what he was best at: drawing.
A few days later, Joel had three bulbs — all shining and bright — with powerful COVID-19 messages that include ‘be home, be safe’ and ‘wear a mask’. He paired them with his speciality — pots — and has come out with about 25 pieces of art, all containing COVID-19 awareness messages.
There is one in which the Taj Mahal monument is draped in a mask, and another in which a giant map of India featuring healthcare professionals joining hands to battle the pandemic. Closer home, keeping Tamil Nadu in mind, Joel has worked on a couple of pieces — a pot painting on the need to save water and another of a jallikattu bull chasing away the virus.
While his current art project is primarily aimed at awareness among the public, Joel also deems the lockdown phase as one that could possibly open up new opportunities for art enthusiasts. “My art is done on everyday objects, ones that are usually available at most homes. This could be a time in which people with an interest in art could take to such small projects with whatever is available in their homes,” he says.
Post his current project, the Tiruchi-born self-taught artist has already moved on to conceptualise his next assignment: egg painting.
“I have a few concepts but I would need at least 50 eggs to implement them. I am waiting for the shops near my house to open in a full-fledged manner,” he smiles.
