The beauty of art is that it is open to interpretation. Some may like figuratives, while others enjoy abstracts. Yet others would have an affinity for semi-abstracts, oil paintings, acrylics, watercolours… At ‘Shades’, an ongoing group exhibition, comprising myriad themes, by a collective of 50 artists, at Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery, Vyloppilly Samskriti Bhavan, there’s something for every admirer of art.
Among the interesting figuratives, for example, are the two works of artist Govindan Kannapuram, which express love at its purest – in his vision, the one that is shared by Krishna and Radha. “The paintings are part of my Radha-Krishna series. Apart from the bonds shared by a mother and child, one of the first things that come to mind when we think about love is the divine story of Krishna and Radha. It’s a love that defies convention in the sense that the two are not married. Yet, the love they share is ironically what we call ideal, pure bliss,” explains the Kannur-based artist. T.K. Vishwanathan’s two figuratives of women, one with tresses flowing like ribbons and the other meditating on her tanpura, meanwhile, appear to have layers of meaning, beneath the obvious simplicity of expression. Three other sets of figuratives – of The Buddha, a mother and child, and of fauna – at first come across as one cohesive unit, very similar in style and form. It’s rather surprising then, to realise that they are actually the works of three Kerala-based artists Sigma Sree Shine, Indu Menon, and Nirmala Mukundan, respectively.
Of the abstracts, perhaps Austrian artist Gottfried Saigner’s works stand out for their sense of playfulness, a balance amid all the randomness of colours and forms. Swiss artist Alexandia Mariyani’s two abstracts too are fluid expressions of colours and balance. A fair majority of the paintings are semi abstracts, with nature being the muse for many. Thrissur-based artist Rejins P. Thomas finds his muse in the interactions between man and trees. “Man needs trees and not vice versa. When we destroy a tree, we are also destroying a whole lot of beings who take sustenance form it,” explains the artist. Pune-based artist V.R. Sali’s subtle oils find a connection between nature (in the form of a waterfall), God (symbolised by temples) and man (pilgrims). “Nature is my teacher. Kerala is what we call dev bhoomi, one of the few places in the world where one can find the three in perfect harmony,” he says. Artist and former DRDO employee Suhas Wagle, also from Pune, meanwhile, has expressed his interest in meditation on canvas. Particularly intriguing is his painting of the states of an individual’s consciousness, from jagriti (waking consciousness) via svapna (dreaming) and sushupti (dreamless sleep), to turiya, the fabled fourth and highest state, “where you become objective to the world and see the absolute and truth as the Creator intended it.”
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The exhibition is being organised under the aegis of Anokhii, a fraternity of artists, for artists, and by artists.
The exhibition is on till August 14, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.