For Sujatha Vinod Shankar, paintings are not just about expressing one’s views. Art, in her view, is a spiritual practice.
According to the artist, art has a great therapeutic effect. The practice had helped her get through the grief caused by the death of her husband, seven years ago. The self-taught artist, who has been working as a designer for a textile group, has managed to find solace in her painting.
Her latest set of paintings, titled ‘Madhavi,’ have been kept for display at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery in the Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan. “I regard Madhavi as my daughter. The paintings provide a glimpse into the world I’ve created for the child and her relationship with Lord Krishna, whom I adore, even while being non-religious. Madhavi has a childhood that is innocent and unscathed by the realities we witness now. In fact, understanding Madhavi’s life in its entirety would enable the viewer to understand my world and views,” the artist says. While the 40 works have been prepared using acrylic, they have the style of murals. She attributes the influence to her brief training at the Vastu Vidya Gurukulam at Aranmula a few years ago, under the tutelage of noted mural artist Suresh Muthukulam.
Sujatha has also exhibited three of her works, in which the artist has, yet again, sought to portray her childhood, on which the world of Madhavi has been modelled.
The exhibition inaugurated by writer Shoukath on Thursday will continue until April 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
