On the face of it Badri Narayan's paintings seem deceptively simple and straightforward. Linger a little longer and one is aware of something deeper, the story that the acclaimed artist is trying to tell. Almost instantly, the observer is seduced into embarking on a journey of wonderment.
Even in this age of Twitter and SMSes, Badri Narayan believes in telling stories, be it through pen or brush. “Across the world and in every age, story telling has been the most creative and re-creative of self renewal processes,” he says. Though a frail 82, Badri Narayan continues to delve into the inner repertoire of experience and mythology, dab watercolour on paper and coax lines and shapes to acquire a life and narration of their own; the one he is working on at present is about Ganesha.
Four months ago, his magical hands spun a yarn that he called Birth of a Unicorn. Prior to that, his muse was Buddha. Magicians, another of his recent works, will be on display at the month-long solo show of the artist, first after a six-year hiatus. In a career spanning over six decades, this Padma Shri awardee has held over 50 solo shows. But this one is special. It will showcase selected paper works done between 2006 and 2011.
Badri Narayan is a self-taught artist who revels in the wonder of fables, tales and parables. “The art of story telling is a never-ending creative act that widens the scope and action of man – then, now and later,” he says.
Though he has experimented with different media including printmaking, woodcuts, ceramic tiles, engravings, paintings and mosaic, his prefers watercolour. “I like the medium which I can handle with softness or fluidity like watercolour on paper. The art of painting is such that every line and colour expresses a statement,” he adds. Badri Narayan gave up working with oils because his daughter was diagnosed with allergy to oil paints.
The purpose of art for Badri Narayan is not one but many. “It is to provoke, to inspire, to narrate. It is also to retell or recreate in a sense of fresh enthusiasm of tales heard long ago,” he says with child-like enthusiasm.
It is this wonderment that reveals itself in the recurring images of mountains, rivers, trees, birds, elephants and unicorns in his works. Badri Narayan enjoys playing with these symbols and giving wing to imagination. Like the unicorn, the horse that grows wings and a horn, Badri Narayan's imagination continues to soar.
Bottomline: The observer is seduced into embarking on a journey of wonderment
Badri Narayan: A Solo Exhibitionat The Viewing Room, Colaba Causeway, Mumbai. April 20 to May 20, Monday to Saturday, 11.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.
