‘Untamed Labyrinth of Infinite Layers’ showcasing Jineshbabu’s works in watercolor and Indian ink
‘Untamed Labyrinth of Infinite Layers’ showcasing Jineshbabu’s works in watercolor and Indian ink
Jinsbabu’s paintings look compact and minimalistic. But as the title of the exhibition suggests – ‘The Untamed Labyrinth of Infinite Layers’ – there are many layers to his works in watercolor and Indian ink, which are on display in the city’s museum.
One image that runs through his paintings seamlessly is tajah Or the screw pine, which grew in abundance in its native place, Thazhava, a village in Karunagappally taluk of Kollam district. The area was once famous for products made from screw pine, especially tazappaya Or screw pine mats. “It is a dying cottage industry now and I have been witness to the golden era. Also, since there used to be screw pines everywhere, people made up stories about them, mostly horror stories. Yakshi and other creatures of the world below. Those horror stories that were part of my growing up years influenced what I did in college,” said Jinesh, a graduate of the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram. He has displayed reproductions of some of these works in oil and acrylic at the exhibition.
Works by Jineshbabu on display at the Museum Gallery of Modern Art, Thiruvananthapuram. photo credit: special arrangement
As the years passed, tajah Jinesh continued as an ideal, even in a more profound way, adding that he could connect “a mystic experience” to the concept.
Indian ink discovery
It was at Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan that he showed interest in Indian ink; Due to which his technique and approach changed. “I started exploring possibilities of using it alone and mixing it with watercolor. Unsurprisingly, I found that layers could be created using this ink because it is waterproof and transparent,” he says.
of Jineshbabu. photo credit: special arrangement
Meanwhile, cedar leaves remained a recurring image – long leaves projecting outward from the center are painted in layers, with color tones moving from light to dark. “After using it for a long time, it has become an organic process. Now I work on several paintings at a time,” he says.
In the exhibition, the artist has put up a collection of paintings to highlight the transparent nature of Indian ink.
Jinesh says that once he went deep into it, he came to know the connection between the leaves and the human body. This explains the spinal cord-like structure that runs through the painting. He picked up on new technologies along the way. “For example, if you apply ink to canvas and once it is set, you can remove that color by wetting the surface. The color bleeds causing new shapes to form. Some say that this technology gives it a cloud-like effect,” he explains.
A work by Jineshbabu on display at the Museum of Modern Art Gallery, Thiruvananthapuram. photo credit: special arrangement
In the final set of paintings, the artist seems to have outdone himself in the use of layers. A large canvas with a network of layers stands out from the collection. Now he is trying a new language, where the focus is on the focal point, or the point of origin. Leaf-like shapes have given way to unblemished circles. “I plan to continue with this new-found language,” he concluded.
The exhibition continues on 25th August from 10.30 am to 11.30 pm at the Museum near Althara Junction. (Monday holiday).