Subjects & Spaces, Memories, Between the Lines and more..

NEWS

Subjects & Spaces

(Work on display at the show)

National Institute of Design (NID) and Tasveer, jointly present an exhibition of photography works in a show titled, ‘ Subjects & Spaces - Woman in Indian Photography’.

The show displays the portrayal of women in Indian photography by some of the legends of photography from the archives of Tasveer Foundation. The collection includes studio portraits, film stills, post cards, cabinet cards and lobby cards.Tracing the colonial depictions of women from the 1850s to 1970s the show investigates the function of the photographic medium during that time.

The exhibition is on at the National Institute of Design, Design Gallery, Paldi, Ahmedabad till 17th November 2013.

Sparsh

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore presents a solo show of artist Pratibha Kashyap, titled, ‘Sparsh’. Based in Roorkee, this graduate in Drawing and Painting from CCS Meerut University has participated in several group and solo shows around the country.

Pratibha’s work on display is rendered in the figurative style and are oil and acrylic on canvas and boards. Vibrant in colour and form, the show promises to enchant the viewer.

The show will be on view till 12th November 2013.

Memories

Unique Contemporary Art Gallery, Bangalore presents a group show of art works by five upcoming artists. The show titled, ‘Memories’ displays works by five artists with their own depictions to present at the show. 

Memories traverses an array of human emotions rendered in various forms of art works making this a very eclectic mix of works. The participating artists are Ashok U, Babu Jatkar, Gavi Gangadhar, Lingadevaru, Veena Srinivas.

The show will be  inaugurated by Harish J Padmanabha , eminent art promoter and commences on 9th November  and is on view till 18th November 2013.

Between the Lines

Apparao Galleries, Chennai presents a two person show titled, ‘Between the Lines’ - an exhibition of paintings by eminent artists S Natraj and Sanjeeva Rao Guthi.

The show displays works in water colours and oils on canvas and paper. with fantastical themes and social issues being addressed through depictions. The works are replete with multiple narratives and vibrant in colour and form.

The show is on view till 30th November 2013.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

Tales on teak

Riyas Kunnamangalam carves his views on the contemporary world on teak root

(Riyas Kunnamangalam with his works)

Riyas Kunnamangalam’s thoughts are simple, straightforward. His craft is not. Riyas’ sculptures are delicate ideas realised by complex workmanship. His medium in itself is a test of perseverance. The sculptor scoured the estates of Thusharagiri, Anakampoyil and Nilambur in search of teak roots. “That search is painstaking. The tree would have long gone. I had to identify the spot and start digging to find the roots,” recounts Riyas.

Riyas is holding an exhibition titled ‘God’s Own Country – Verukalilude’ in the city. On display are 12 sculptures carved on teak roots over the past one year. Unlike other medium which allows the sculptor to etch his idea on it, here the medium dictates the subject. “From the shape of the root, I decide the subject that can be done on it,” says Riyas.

Through the sculptures on view, Riyas makes a commentary on contemporary society. Women are his chief subjects and they are violated, harassed and abandoned. ‘Kaalam Irulumbol’ is Riyas’ take on the plight of the elderly in Kerala. “On the days I was exhibiting my works in Thrissur, came the news of an old woman being abandoned at Guruvayur by her children,” remembers Riyas. The only work done on rosewood, it has an old woman, her large button earrings intact, sitting with sorrow writ large on her face.

The self-explanatory ‘Avivahitayaya Amma’ has the figure of a mother with her new born baby at the feet. Both are trapped by a coiling snake, carved out expertly from the shape of the root.

The work is evocative as Riyas successfully brings to the baby the appearance of a new born. “The father goes scot-free. It is the woman and child who are trapped,” he says.

‘Aanakanneer’ brings to focus the pressing issue of animal torture and subsequent killing of mahouts. Riyas has used the face of lion to depict the cruelty of the mahout.

Riyas dabbled in drawing for quite a while before turning his attention on sculpture. Though he initially did work on teak wood he realised there were many others working on the medium. The search for exclusivity took him to the teak root. He began by carving portraits. “The moment you see a root and its shape, the stories it can hold comes to you. There have been days when I worked from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. the next morning,” says Riyas.

His ‘Vilapikkunna Mathrutvam’ addresses harassment of young girls. A mother is depicted with a baby even as an eagle hovers around her. ‘Valayilekku oru ‘click’ dooram’ too depicts the various traps that await young girls. There are signs of abuse — a robe being loosened, a face hidden, a cell phone in hand, a woman crouched. ‘Kaivellayil oru ottukaran’ too treads a similar subject.

He attempts a different subject with ‘Vargeeyata’ where pointed root tips are turned to a sword and amidst the various folds of the root is a figure of crucified Christ. The three-dimensional ‘Charitragati’ too evokes a sense of violence with severed heads and religious representatives finding a space in the sculpture. On the other side of the root is Mother Teresa mourning the plight of the world.

(‘God’s Own Country – Verukalilude’ is on at the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Art Gallery till November 15.)

(Report by P Anima, Image: K Rajesh for The Hindu)