Namam, the religious mark worn on foreheads by followers of different faiths, is an emblematic symbol of spiritual beliefs. When artist Arpitha Reddy went on a pilgrimage to Triupati, a temple elephant leading the evening procession grabbed her fascination. The tilak on the elephant’s forehead intrigued her and became the catalyst and inspiration of a series of paintings.
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The artist from Hyderabad says the image of the tilak kept haunting her. “The Vishnu Namam, which is generally a sharp U or a V, had a graceful curvaceous shape hugging the contours of the elephant’s forehead. When an elephant, used in rituals, wears the namam, it is an embodiment of Bhakti on the part of the animal that leads the procession in temple festivities,” she says.
The mystique of the quaint symbols became the subject of her study and she came up with a set of 16 works of art, creating the namams in different colours and leading the viewer to understand their significance.
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The set of Namam paintings are a part of her solo show, which opens at Bikaner House on October 18.
Trained in the mural tradition of the Guruvayoor School in Kerala, Arpitha’s acrylics on canvas are inspired by subjects from mythology, created in the style of modern murals. The canvasses are filled with symbols and elements in bright, happy colours and images of rituals and goddesses.
Panchmukhi Ganesha, acrylic on canvas by Arpitha Reddy at Bikaner House | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Art historian Uma Nair who has curated the show, says, the hallmark of Arpitha’s show, whom she has been following for more than a decade, is in how she creates celestial characters in a contemporary format without losing the elements, balance and harmony of ritual symbolism and adds abundance and authority to her works.
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Says Uma. “Gazing at them brings alive legends of gods and goddesses and the charm of antiquity,” she adds.
The exhibition will also showcase a set of 15 paintings, a fascinating assemblage of symbols called Sumangala. In these works, Arpitha unveils symbols such as the lotus, conch shell, chakram, the sun and the moon with intricate details.
A third set of 10 paintings, titled Dashavataras, the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, create a classic narration in bold strokes. Arpitha creates a sync in different forms of Vishnu, venerated in different parts of India, with a touch of contemporary choreography.
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A separate set of singular studies, such as the Panchmukhi Ganesha , and a few more figurative images that extol the beauty and traditions of her training in Guruvayoor temple murals can also be seen at the exhibition.
“The embellishment in Arpitha’s artworks containing ornamentation of figures, flowers, symbols, textile borders, all create a conversation,” says Uma. “Not only do they reveal the artist’s love for studying techniques but also remind us of the importance of small things in life and how we have forgotten to take care of them,” she adds.
Dancers Raja and Radha Reddy and writer Sheela Jhunjhunwala will inaugurate the exhibition on October 18. Uma Nair will give curatorial talks at the venue for college students
(At The Main Gallery, Bikaner House, October 19 to 25, 11am to 7pm)