Art Quarter 2013, Dakshin show, The Language of Existence and more..

NEWS

Art Quarter 2013

( a work by Anand Panchal)

Crimson The Art Resource, Bangalore presents an exhibition showcasing the works of 35 established and upcoming artists, including HR Das, Yasala Balaiah, Anand Panchal, Sunil Sarkar, Dhrubajyoti Baral, Sunil Sarkar and Dilip Kumar Kale.

The works on display range from figurative to abstractions and semi abstracts. The works engage with the viewer on multiple levels of experiences and account for an eclectic mix on display.

The show is on till 16th November 2013.

Cartwheels in your honour

(A work by Trishla Jain)

Exhibit 320, New Delhi presents the solo show of artist Trishla Jain’s latest series of canvases and life-size sculptures is an ecstatic, psychedelic ode to colour, light, form and, above all, life.

The show is titled, ‘Cartwheels in your honour’ and will be on view till November 5th 2013.

Dakshin

Kynkyny Art, Bangalore presents a show tilted ‘Dakshin’. The show features a heartwarming glimpse of the life, times and culture of South India through the contemporary vision of three eminent contemporary artists Elayaraja, Sivabalan and Santhana Krishnan.

The show is presented in association with Stonehill PTA In aid of Iksha Foundation.

The show is on view till 10th October 2013.

The Language of Existence

( Work on display at the show)

Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai presents a two person show of works by artists Augustine Thilak and Victoria, the artworks are a search for the deeper understanding of the language of existence through musings of different forms, textures and colours.

The show is titled, ‘The Language of existence’ and is on view till 20th October 2013.

(Reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

Root cause

Riyas Kunnamangalam’s sculptures in tree roots talk of issues plaguing society

(Work on display at the show)

For sculptor Riyas Kunnamangalam, his art always begins with a search—for roots. His exhibition ‘God’s Own Country — Verugalilude’ is the fruit of a three-year search for 12 sturdy and large teak roots upon which he could carve the stories he wanted to tell.

Each piece was once a buried root that has been dug up from places in and around Wayanad; and each carved root now talks of issues such as pesticide overuse and the Internet trap—reflecting the state of Kerala as it stands today.

Riyas’ own roots as an artist began from his childhood drawings, which his father disapproved of. After Class X, he left his Kozhikode home for Mysore where he worked as a tourist guide until he met wood sculptor P.C. Chacko in Thrissur. As a 17-year-old he studied under him for a year and a half, learning to work wood into different patterns and figures, following which he was employed by several furniture shops. “I was unhappy here too, because all the designs I was carving were what they would dictate. That’s when I decided that I would instead create the pictures that I was drawing,” says Riyas. One of his earliest works—a portrait of Mohanlal etched in wood—sits at a corner of his exhibition today.

( Riyas Kunnamangalam)

But Riyas has since evolved into a teller of troubled stories. “There are so many issues today in Kerala that need to be spoken of, and I want to use my work to do that.” For instance, one of his pieces depicts a baby with a deformed head as a result of his mother’s exposure to endosulfan.

Another shows a schoolgirl with a mobile phone in one hand, a bottle of pills in the other hand and tears on her face. “This was inspired by the Ambalapuzha suicides of 2008.”

In his line of work, it is vital to understand the innate nature of the root, and maintain that natural form, rather than impose one’s creation on it, says Riyas. Therefore, each piece is a three-dimensional work that reveals its complete story only when observed from every angle.

Other works show Mother Teresa crying at the state of the world today, the fate of single mothers and the abuse of elephants by their mahouts. The exhibition is on at Durbar Hall Art Gallery from till October 16.

( Report by Esther Elias, Photos by Thulasi Kakkat  for The Hindu)