The best art teachers, according to Sithan Siva, are temple idols. The Kattur-based artist held a two-day exhibition of his paintings and bronze figures this week in Tiruverumbur, that encompassed over 15 years of his work.
“No matter how much you study under a human teacher, you could probably learn something new from looking closely at a temple sculpture. Every day provides a fresh perspective on how such beauty could be carved out from stone,” Mr. Siva told The Hindu.
The most striking of his artworks at the exhibition, held over May 4 and 5, was a 16 ft x 6 ft oil painting with scenes from the agrarian backdrop of Tamil Nadu that have been slowly outmoded by mechanisation. “I am from a farmers’ family, and grew up helping my maternal grandfather in the fields. It was a self-sustaining life, in tune with nature and its seasons. I wanted to capture this as a visual document of an ancient occupation, that has been changed by automation,” said Mr. Siva, who took four years to complete the massive project with more than 200 figures showing different farming practices.
A wood and iron plough donated by a farmer near Thirukattupalli pays tribute to the theme.
Mr. Siva interprets contemporary celebrations through the prism of ancient drawing styles. His ‘Cycle of Life’ painting depicts a south Indian arranged marriage with all the characters drawn in the Chola style. Artworks on the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath try to summarise humanity’s reaction to the health crisis.
Having learned to draw from an early age, Mr. Siva studied at the Government College of Fine Arts in Kumbakonam, and also trained under Pattukottai K. Balashangmugam. The artist runs an academy in Kattur, and is a visiting faculty at a college in Tirunelveli.
“I prefer traditional subjects and styles because they are easier to understand. I hope to showcase these paintings in schools and colleges, to reach out to the youth and inspire them to become artists themselves,” he said.
