Ganesh Doddamani's name is synonymous with the Buddha series of oil paintings that the artist created over the span of a decade. However, after 12 years of working on the same subject, Ganesh felt an emptiness within. “I wondered why I was creating only the face of the Buddha. Although everyone was buying it, and I was being appreciated for my work, I was not at ease. I was wondering if I should continue to draw Buddha’s head, or depict his teachings through my work?” says the artist.
With these thoughts going through his mind, Ganesh wasn’t able to create anything new for nearly three years. But then something dawned on him. When he was travelling along the coast near Belgaum and then in Goa, the artist started dabbling in abstracts.
And this weekend, his first solo show of these new works titled A Sense of the Land opens at the MKF Museum of Art. “These paintings that I started creating about three years ago when I was in my hometown, Belgaum, were inspired by the first smell of rain during summer. Hence I called it the ‘petrichor’ series,” he explains. Abstract strokes, bright hues of yellow, blue, red and green are the signature elements of his series.
Ganesh says his aim was to reach people who weren’t exposed much to art and its nuances. “I wanted the common man to see it, and when I first displayed the series during group shows in Delhi and Mumbai, I saw how happy people felt when they saw my work and this prompted me to paint more,” he explains. The new show features paintings that were created during the last year. Ganesh says these works depict the surroundings of Belgaum — the agricultural land and the villages. But what’s interesting is that his paintings don’t follow the natural scheme of colours.
The artist explains, “I always wonder what will happen if we remove a colour from the palette. For example, if green is removed, how will we look at plants and trees. Hence, you will see that the sky in my paintings is yellow or orange, it will never be blue. This is my way of capturing happiness.” While Ganesh talks of happiness, he is also aware of how the artist community suffered in the last one year. So he has pledged to give 50 per cent of the show’s proceeds to his fellow artists.
Until August 29, 11 am. At Lavelle Road
ayeshatabassum@newindianexpress.com @aishatax