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The great Indian feeling

finds takers as galleries expand to meet the interests of connoisseurs

PHOTO: M. MOORTHY

AESTHETIC Attractive artefacts

The gallery fills you with an overwhelming air of ethnicity. From the bamboo floor mat to the teakwood `mandap,' Kalaniketan, an art gallery at Thillai Nagar, has much more to offer than Ravi Verma and Thanjavur paintings.

A melange of plush furniture and curios are sling all over the hall. Carefully shelved paintings fill every possible nook and corner. "We are expanding," beams S. Meenakshisundaram, the shop proprietor. The 13-year old art arcade is home for 50-odd replicas of Raja Ravi Varma, over 100 Thanjavur and quite a few rare works of the former Governor General of Tranquebar Peter Anker.

Hybrid technology

The gallery has duplicated the hybrid technology — gouache, colour, and pencil - paintings of Governor General, who was fascinated by the south Indian landscape. The meticulous strokes of this Norwegian-born painter speak volumes about the tourism richness of the state. His century-old paintings depicting Brihadeshwar Temple and Rock fort stand as a historical record and offer a panoramic view of the then Thanjavur and Tiruchi.

A computer science graduate, Mr. Meenakshisundaram's finesse for art made him travel extensively to find out the scope for classical paintings. But the dearth of such a gallery in the city, made him back off for a while. A decade ago, there wasn't a potential market for art in Tiruchi, he recalls. "But then, I realised these people weren't given much chance for appreciating art. I wanted to give it a try," he says. To play it safe, Mr. Meenakshisundaram stuffed his gallery with other artefacts and ethnic interiors, alongside the paintings.

As one explores the gallery, a narrow aisle leads to a patio, where semi-finished paintings are sloped gently down. The vast veranda seems to be the gateway for art lovers. Ravi Verma's `Radha-Madhav' and `Sakunthala' rest against the glitzy Thanjavur Krishna, which comes in various shapes and sizes. Raja Ravi Verma's paintings are given a new lease of life in digital and canvas media. Pastel colours to crimsons and dark shades, every work of the legend reveals a story.

"Though replica looks perfect in canvas, near-perfect digital images has thrown open a new retail market. People prefer to gift the less priced digital paintings than the canvas ones," he says.

The minimalist mantra of today's interior decorators will take a backseat when one looks at the options wooden interiors has to offer for a picturesque home. Be it a wardrobe from the intricate teak and cedar wood or embellished jewel boxes with enamel and semi-precious stones, the challenge is to resist the temptation. Greater the intricacy, higher is the price.

"Designer interiors give your home a coordinated lifestyle, which is stylish, elegant and classy," says Mr. Meenakshisundaram. Bright blue-tinted silver lanterns from Firozabad throw aqua shades across the room, enough to calm down frayed tempers.

The gallery will soon wear a new look, with more artefacts to be introduced in couple of months. "Like fashion, interior décor reinvents constantly. While ethnic interior is an in-thing now, it is sure to change sooner or later. But a home reflecting Indianism will be never called outdated," he assures.

S.AISHWARYA

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