Conflicts and chaos within and outside a person seem to inspire most artists. B.D. Dethan is no exception. But there came a point in his life when he felt that it was high time he portrayed finer aspects of life. So he tried to cut himself off from the discord and upheavals in society and the result was a collection of abstract paintings. Nevertheless, at the end of the venture he realised that one can never escape from reality.
Beginning August 7, Dethan exhibits 20 paintings from his series, ‘Sangharsham’, in the city. “My attempt was to give a free rein to my creativity. Unlike my other series, which were based around certain themes, figures or emotions, this was meant to be an exercise where I experimented with colours and forms, sans any meanings or messages.
“The canvas and my brush led me on, instead of me choosing a subject. I painted whatever I liked. But at the end of it, things were back to square one! I understood that there is no escape for mankind from conflicts,” he says.
Mind matters
He avers that the decision to try something new was taken up for his peace of mind.
Right from his first series, ‘Kali’, he has portrayed many of the harsh realities of life in his works. This is the 11th series that he has come up with, the others being ‘Mukhangal’, ‘Parinamam’, ‘Nude Complexion’, ‘Botanic Fantasy’ and ‘Avastha’ among others.
“The creative process is always difficult. So I wondered why I should keep referring only to the disturbances. But once I completed the works, I accepted that the wounds inflicted on the minds by our surroundings will always be there,” he muses. Many of the paintings in the present series were done this year itself.
“I haven’t done abstract works for quite some time. An abstract image has got its own composition and my experience helped. I didn’t do any preparation or planning. In fact, except for my first series, ‘Kali’, most of the other series were done without much preparations,” he adds.
An abstract work by B.D. Dethan that is part of ‘Sangharsham’ series
All the paintings in the exhibition are in acrylics and Dethan has his reasons for that — the medium is convenient enough to experiment with different techniques and it dries easily.
He stresses that each piece is unique and expresses itself in a riot of colours with the predominant hues in blues and greys.
The exhibition is from August 7 to September 7 at Suryakanti Art Gallery, Sasthamangalam.
Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
