Forests forever
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"The Green Shadows" is an exhibition that pays tribute to the forest and its inhabitants.
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WHAT G. SATYA Srinivas and T. Shivaji see, thrive on and cherish is a world beyond this vast expanse of concrete structures of the modern world. Ardent environmentalists, they have been involved with safeguarding and rejuvenating forests and motivating tribes living there to conserve the woods. Working with NGOs, lobbying with the World Bank, Central Government agencies, writing on environmental issues and living among the tribals, they have been instrumental in good functioning of the Vana Samrakshana Samithies (VSS) .
Manifestation of a belief
With an idea to depict the efforts of the people through their interest in visual arts, the duo presented an exhibition of photographs, portraits and water colour paintings titled "The Green Shadows" at the Lakshana Art Gallery, Hyderabad from March .24 to 28.
What made the viewing worthy was that the portraits and photographs by Satya and watercolours by Shivaji were not mere visuals to be enjoyed and appreciated, but a manifestation of a belief and an unconditional motivation to work towards it. Evident in Shivaji's watercolours is the cautious innocence of a child who frugally and lovingly uses his first set of colours. He carefully manages the perspective to show the purity of nature, maintaining a freshness across the surface and clearly conveys the concept, dealing with the activities of the VSS villages like "bodha" collection of grass and non- timber forest produce.
A freelance journalist, he has published "Molaka" a book on ecology for children, "Kathalathangenu"- a book for children on natural resources, a magazine "Chiguru" on ecology and art for children; apart from many articles and reviews on world art and art movements, a dozen short stories and five short novels. He has done a HRD project on tribal paintings - Savara Art and is presently consultant on documentation and research on forests and tribal development to the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Deft handling
Sathya's ten photographs, document the successful efforts of the members of the VSS in the villages in rejuvenating the forests. Shot at various intervals, the allegory of self-help and toil in large format takes us across the lush green forests in the State.
A tribute to the leaders of the VSS, his watercolour portraits of the coarse tribal women are surprisingly proficient for an amateur.
Sathya, a freelancer working on forests and tribal development has had a couple of mobile environmental exhibitions throughout, the State. He helped in developing environment education centres established by the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department.
Published "Inka Sagam," an anthology of poems in Telugu- related to forests and environment and has been a member of the task force team for Andhra Pradesh community forest management project. The effort of Srujana, an NGO working in Vishakapatnam to document the efforts in rejuvenating the forest has culminated into this unpretentious show of love and passion.
B. PADMA REDDY
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