KOCHI: Every Sunday, Ajeesh K A goes to Mattancherry with an easel and watercolour paints. Before 8 am, he finds a spot there, and in a few hours, the subject for the day too. Mattancherry’s old architecture, buildings, the shadows between the alleys, its people, the hustle-bustle of the market — anything could set the mood for his paintings. By 11 am, he starts searching for the next location — maybe Fort Kochi and its tourists, the Chinese fishnets, boats and even ships moving through the waters. Sometimes, he goes to Ernakulam town, to absorb the spirit of fast-paced city lives and the endless traffic.
“I love painting outdoors (Plein Air). Breathing in the city’s air while you do it is a different feeling. When I paint complex subjects, I use my studio. But going out and painting in the city is a different feeling altogether. I started doing Plein air paintings around four years ago and I don’t plan to stop,” quips Ajeesh.
“I’m a self-taught artist. I didn’t know any techniques for using watercolours. I learned everything on the go, with practice,” adds the 36-year-old.
Rather than copying a building or a scene from the city, Ajeesh prefers to capture the undertones of its culture and present. That is probably what makes his paintings alive and moving. He puts the viewers right in the middle of the city, watching its sceneries unfold. There is an old-world charm to his artworks. The trains, ships, people and cars seem like they are from a different time. “It’s mainly because of the way I use colours. The muted shades add different emotions, they play with time.
Though I am influenced by the scenes in front of me, sometimes my imagination takes over. Sunrises become sunsets, noon becomes the dusk and so on,” he says. Everything fits into their natural places in Ajeesh’s paintings. “Watercolour has a permanence to it. It’s a difficult medium as it’s nearly impossible to correct any mistakes that may happen,” adds the artist.
Early days
Ajeesh used to draw since he was a kid, though he never had any formal learning. Ajeesh used to participate in drawing and painting competitions in schools. “I did win many prizes, even at the national level. But after finishing Class 12, I had to think about getting a feasible job,” says the IT professional.
His father, a fisherman at the Cochin Fisheries Harbour. had enough on his plate, and so, Ajeesh couldn’t stay back and be an artist or chase his dreams. So, young Ajeesh took his studies seriously and became an IT professional after finishing BCA and MCA. “I didn’t pick up my brushes for 15 years. It was four years ago that I started painting again. It happened after I visited a gallery. The works there moved me,” says the artist.
He has found a community of painters who prefer Plein air paintings. He meets up with them and travels around Kochi, painting. “They helped me a lot and cleared many of my doubts, especially Saji K S. Many people come to see our work when we sit outdoors and paint,” says the artist.
Ajeesh was planning on conducting an exhibition at Durbar Hall, but the pandemic wrecked his plans. “So, I utilised the time to continue with my art. I used to sit at my terrace and paint the city I see around — the empty streets. It was a different time,” says the artist.
Love for cityscape
Though no city ever will replace Kochi for him, sometimes Mumbai and Bengaluru appear in his works too. “I love painting cityscapes. But if I come across a landscape I love during my travels, I take a photograph and paint it later in my studio,” says Ajeesh.