Ten, an ongoing group exhibition at Gallery Space, runs through till December 5 and is founded on the commonalities and outcomes of the artists’ diverse experiences. The exhibition features the creations of 10 painters who graduated from the Trivandrum College of Fine Arts in Kerala in the 1980s. This collection contains works by Azis TM, Balan Tanur, Baiju SR, Chandra Mohan MK, Jayachandran V, Murali AM, Ranjan VK, Rajasekharan Nair, and Venu Kotheril.
We had a conversation with the trained artist Baiju SR. He asserts that the sculptor in him was inspired
by many structures and forms. Natural components, textures, seeds, fruits, animals and human are
a few examples. Baiju was inspired to explore and also include bee hives, nests, insects, mouse dens, and other structures in the development of his artistic narratives. “During my school days, I used to collect clay from nearby fields and sculpt human and animal forms out of them, which were applied with natural colours. For instance, lime for white, charcoal powder for black, which formed the natural dyes. Artificial
colours were hard to procure those days,” he shares.
We also spoke with visual artist Chandra Mohan MK, from Kerala’s Aickrakkonam, Punalur, and Kollam districts. The primary media for his works are watercolour, ink, coloured pencil, and acrylic. He argues that the environment around him serves as inspiration for his paintings, which features the negative effects on nature or any harm done to it as its subjects. “Everything from small bugs and ants to other elements and objects that catches my eye, inspires me. I have an intimacy towards these elements,” he shares.
He also says that he wants to convey the emotions of common people through his art. He recalls his trip to
Kolkata and says that instead of concentrating on the affluent side of the city, he paid attention to rickshaw pullers and flower vendors. He primarily engages in sketching. In his artwork, we can see how he sketched moments while on the move. “While travelling, I try to capture a moment in a short time, and depict the mood of ordinary existence. I have been carrying a sketchbook since the 80s,” he adds.
The exhibit is on showcase till December 5.
At Banjara Hills.
E-mail: chokita@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @PaulChokita