Artist Mibin’s canvases can jolt a casual observer out of their comfort zone. They can push you down thought spirals, take you along imaginative heights and, at times, make you just want to stand and stare. And that is what Mibin wants his viewers to do. “It is a give and take. We, human beings, have laid out a set of norms for how we interact with each other and with ourselves. What if we go beyond these norms? What if there was no right and wrong, thesis or anti-thesis?” he asks. His vivid and layered works are a constant dialogue between himself and the space around him, questioning the basis of human existence on various levels. Mibin’s works are on show at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery along with the works of three other artists from Kerala, displayed as part of Lalithakala Akademi’s contemporary solo art exhibition project.
Mibin does not like to assign titles to his works as they could communicate differently at a different time. The series on show, however, is called ‘Occult’. The artist, who did his Masters degree at Visva Bharthi University, Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, paints using watercolour and gouache on white and rice paper. Over 16 of his paintings are on show in addition to a couple of sculptures in silicone.
Aneesh V’s ‘Day-to-Day Chronicles’ explores the inextricable link between man and Nature. He creates a visual narrative of everyday life. His extremely bright canvases play freely with light and colour, often juxtaposing conflicting ideas. One of his works shows a rural woman holding a sickle, harvesting paddy, which is grown as an indoor plant in the plush environs of an urban apartment. Aneesh, who hails from an agrarian background in Karunagappally in Kerala, says his earliest inspiration is from Nature. “Nature is where everything begins. Our relationship with Nature is complex, yet deep-rooted,” he says. Aneesh, who did his Masters from Santiniketan, says he loves to work with oil paint, but chooses acrylic for its practicality. Twenty-eight of Aneesh’s paintings are on show, some of which are portraits, and an installation.
‘The Last Fingerprint’ by Suneesh S S is a curious collection of wooden tools, many of which were owned by his father. His works tread the delicate space between art and curation, as he preserves the memory of a rich handicraft tradition with a contemporary approach. He paints these wooden articles with scenes from a simple rural setting — of a woman bathing her child, of a kitchen, of children playing. “In a way, this is placing these objects back in a time where they belong,” he says. ”These works are a reflection of what I have seen and experienced as a child,” adds Suneesh, who also did his MFA from Santiniketan. He has a studio in Kunnamkulam. Fifteen of his sculpture-paintings on show along with four canvases.
A tree with a large canopy of butterflies; a group of girls sitting in a clearing in a forest; a brood of hens moving about in a picturesque setting… Anitha TK’s canvases are a celebration of colour and vitality. Her trees are not ordinary, they burst forth in vivid inflorescence and her people seem to be simple beings exploring the wonders of a forest. The self-taught artist, in ‘Let me Swallow the Sunset and Drink the Rainbow’ takes her viewers along with her on a journey through fantastical landscapes. The works on display include those in acrylic, soft pastels, ink, sketches and drawings. “This series is based on a line of thought that every creature on this planet is connected to the other,” she says. Having retired as a senior superintendent from the Motor Vehicle Department, Anitha devotes her time to art, working out of her studio in Thrissur.
The shows, curated by Sudheesh Kottembram, Pavel and Vivish Vijayan, are on till October 16 at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery.
