Yusuf Arakkal was one of the most renowned painters in Bengaluru. His works were mainly based on topics concerning humanity. His dream of holding a show of his works wasn’t fulfilled when he was alive but his wife Sara Arakkal, son Shibu Arakkal and the National Gallery of Modern Art have made that dream a reality. We spoke to Shibu Arakkal, Yusuf Arakkal’s son, to find out more about the upcoming retrospective — Celebration of Solitude and Humanity.
When asked about the main themes of the retrospective, Shibu was tight-lipped because he wants people to witness the works of his father first-hand. However, he mentions that it will be a cross-section of works from Yusuf ’s career. He shares that the first car that his father bought and used as a canvas for his art will also be on display.
Shibu, who is also an artist, wants to carry forward the legacy that his father built but in his own way. “My father and I practice very different mediums. I have been practicing photo art for the last 25 years, so I have been trying to do something of my own. At the end of the day, it will be my legacy as much as I am proud to be my father’s son,” he explains.
The idea of a retrospective is something that Shibu’s mother Sara Arakkal has been dreaming of for quite some time. Yusuf passed away six years ago and since then Sara has been wanting to curate a retrospective. Even though her interests didn’t lie in art, she set up a gallery in the ’90s to support young artists, who today have made a name for themselves.
Talking about his father’s love for Bengaluru, Shibu says, “He used to say ‘Kerala is my birthplace, but Bengaluru is my home’, because the city accepted him more than any other place.”
Entry fee ₹20. Until November 30. At National Gallery of Modern Art, Vasanth Nagar
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