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Confluence of colour and culture

Kadambam, held recently, was a wonderful mix of the visual and performing arts

PHOTOS: R. SHIVAJI RAO

A CREATIVE EXERCISE The artists who participated in Kadambam

In a little island amidst multi-storeyed buildings that rise all around, it was indeed a pleasure to find a seat and shut out the cacophony of vehicle horns with the heady melody of lilting tunes. A cool breeze wafted musical notes created by the violin and ghatam especially for those gathered on the Leather Bar Terrace at The Park Hotel on February 21.

Accompanying the varying strokes of the violin bow were the strokes of paint created by brushes and palette knife. The Terrace was packed to standing room only, which can only mean one thing — that the audience was enthralled by the succinctly packaged artistic performance.

Paintings by five artists began to evolve in boldness of form and colour accompanied by music by noted violinist Viji Krishnan and Bharatanatyam recital by celebrated dancer Meenakshi Chittaranjan. The artists, Asma Menon, Jacob Jebaraj, Lakshmi Srinath, Shalini Biswajit and Thejomaye Menon, interpreted the music in their signature styles.

Form emerged on canvas as the music reached a crescendo titillating both the visual and aural senses. Indeed the art of music, dance and painting in combination was not just a delight to the eyes and ears, but to the mind and soul.

The rendition of the song `Alaipayuthae,' in both dance and vocals, was visualised in the context of Radha pining for Krishna. This theme was carried forward into the paintings. The rich, bold colours, notably blues and yellows, took shape and form on the canvases that were juxtaposed near the dancer, lending rhythmic cadence. The sound of Meenakshi's anklets, her dramatic gestures and facial expressions added vibrancy.

To Asma, painting to the accompaniment of music and dance was an `unusual' experience and she borrowed her visual imagery from the idea of Krishna's music. Using the peacock and flowers as metaphors, she implicated the beauty that emanated from Krishna's flute and the splendour of love. Numerous colours captured the vibration of music and dance in the energy-filled canvas by Jacob.

Working on the concept of `Union' which was also the theme of her recent series of paintings, Thejomaye chose to encapsulate the impending union of the lovers through figuration.

Lakshmi journeyed a symbolic route, portraying the yearning for the union with a tactile rendering. Her choice of symbols effectively conveyed the theme of the evening. While Krishna was symbolised by his flute, Radha was epitomised as the creative energy of the bindu. Shalini's canvas, a celebration of life and colour, effectively conveyed, through the metaphor of the lotus that grows in slush but blossoms in beauty, the yearning to be with the paramathma.

In Meenakshi's words, "it is possibly the dream of every artist to collaborate with other artists" and what a colourful and inspiring collaboration it was. A wider area would have allowed better viewing, creating a more holistic experience. In the limited space available, the viewer was sanctioned only snippets of the whole at any given point in time.

The evening concluded with the `thillana' thus ending on a note of pure joy. Rasa and bhava, aesthetic pleasure and mood, are inseparable and here at this performance, all the elements were favourable. It is fitting that such homegrown talent has been showcased at Chennai Sangamam, for all these artistes have trained in their respective arts in the city of Chennai.

Co-organised by FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) for Chennai Sangamam, `Kadambam' was indeed a worthy mix of the visual and performing arts, certainly an evening well-spent.

SWAPNA SATHISH

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