Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Spreading the message of peace

Staff Reporter

PROUD MOMENT: V.P.K. Nair with his paintings at an exhibition at the Museum auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: V.P.K. Nair recollects the day when the former Defence Minister the late V.K. Krishna Menon, complimented him for drawing a portrait of his during a flight journey in 1961. A retired colonel of the Indian Army, Mr. Nair was working as an engine fitter in the Air Force, when he got an opportunity to fly with Menon.

The picture, which showed Menon taking a nap with his mouth-wide open, was well appreciated. Menon had told me "you are faster than a camera" and then he autographed it and gave it to me. The incident was one of the most memorable occasions in my life,'' Mr. Nair says

It also provided a fillip to his artistic talents as Mr. Nair decided to spend more time with his artistic work during his leisure in the Defence forces.

He painted on the walls of the bunker and officer's mess with enamel paints during his free time. Most of them were pictures of nature and landscape.

An exhibition of his selected works is at present on at the Museum auditorium here. His works are a depiction of the country's spiritual heritage. According to him, emphasis has been given on spiritual paintings as `they can convey good thoughts and message to the viewers.' "Every work is a search for peace," he said. Around 40 paintings are on display and nearly 15 of them are from the Ramayana series alone. The rest are based on Tatwamasi, images of Sakti, meditation on chakras, kriya sakti, sree yantra, jnana sakti, pancheekaranam, samadhi, ista devata dhyanam and icha sakti. "Till date I have completed more than 1,000 paintings," says Mr. Nair who was part of the 1965 and 1971 war for the country. A member of the Chitrakala Parishad, Mr. Nair's works are currently displayed in various army officers mess, religious institutions and private residences. Today most of his time is devoted to painting, reading and practising yoga. The five-day exhibition will conclude on Tuesday.

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