Part of 121 Studio Spaces, a collective, thirteen artists have exhibited their works in the Museum Art Gallery.
Part of 121 Studio Spaces, a collective, thirteen artists have exhibited their works in the Museum Art Gallery.
The yellow colored lungi is the canvas of Nagjan Karvadara, that too stained with mud and clay. People, animals, flora and familiar landmarks of Kerala landscape have been depicted on cloth using mixed media by this artist from Gujarat.
While Kiran S. Venugopalan shares his concern for the dwindling shoreline with the audience through a work on a large canvas, depicting a terrace, resembling thatch roof, supported by traditional fishing boats, is personal and familiar. gets an artistic touch in acrylic works. Justin Titus and Sreejit B.
He is among 13 artists who have exhibited their paintings at The State of Being Here Art show at the Museum Art Gallery. The show’s curator Megha Cyrus said in her note, “The concept of the show is within the immediate realities of the cast.”
Thirteen artists have exhibited their work in the museum. photo credit: special arrangement
platform for art
The artists are part of 121 Studio Spaces, a group of artists based in Pachallur, a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram. “We made it three years ago. It is a place for artists to work together and discuss art. We organize camps and have exhibits of our art creations in the studio. This is the first time that our works are being put up for public viewing,” says Leon Xavier, founder of 121 Studio Spaces. These artists are classmates and friends who study in the same institution or get to know each other through mutual friends. Apart from alumni from art institutes in Kerala, artists from art learning centers outside Kerala are part of the collective.
“Art and artists are being exploited. If we stand together it can be resisted to some extent. We hope that this collective will serve that purpose. It is also a place where we all forget our worries,” says Lyon, an art teacher at a city school.
Painting by Leon Xavier | photo credit: special arrangement
In one of his paintings, Leone imagines his life as the son of a fisherman, raised in the fishing village of Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram. “It’s my view of the fishermen and their daily grind. I’ve watched them up close because I’m one of them. This act, too, is a sort of self-exploration. The fact that our studio space is on the seashore made it so Inspired the work,” says Leon. In addition to capturing the flora of the place in another painting, he has also put together a series of personal portraits dedicated to his friends.
The studio with its natural surroundings and the people who live there have inspired Jibin Abraham and Mukhil Raj. Jibin, in a series of pictures, “captured the interiors of the studio and the people I’ve interacted with over a period of two to three months.” Mukhil has showcased a pencil-on-paper series, and a fascinating work in acrylic that is, again, a celebration of the ocean scene with flora and water. The effortless charm of personal, intimate spaces is the theme of Mehja VS’ pencil drawings. An alumnus of Santiniketan, she has also exhibited her oil paintings.
Pavishankar KP. with your pictures. photo credit: special arrangement
Pavishankar KP has given free rein to his imagination in different media. There are etchings that are close and personal to nature. One of his masterpieces is ‘Bhoomi’, which underscores his concern for nature. The work is an interesting mix of metal pieces and dried bamboo flowers set against a backdrop filled with intricate use of colours. It is accompanied by 12 mini-drawings, which he describes as “a study because these are the paintings that eventually culminated in the final work.”
Ratheesh S takes you to some common places in his memory. “Grown up in Kadakkal [in Kollam], I remember how some women in my neighborhood talked about removing lice from their hair. They used to sit one behind the other, with the youngest or the youngest,” says Ratheesh. A kerosene lamp, a firewood stove, customs surrounding a girl’s age are some of her works that showcase her rural ghat. The artist has also exhibited his sculptures in terracotta.
A painting by Kiran S. Venugopalan | photo credit: special arrangement
Shruti’s ‘Manathu Kanni’ and ‘Koopamandukam’ series are another source of water landscape of the state. The curatorial note states that Japanese artist Seiko Kamasova’s bathroom series seeks to reconnect herself to her experiences as a student in Vadodara. Jaipur based Akanksha Agarwal’s Mindscape range is a compact presentation in ceramics.
The exhibition continues till 25 October at the Museum near Althara Junction, Vellayambalam. Timings: 10.30 am to 11.00 pm. Monday is a holiday.