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Erupting city
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Murali Cheeroth presents his images through unusual perspective
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in the spotlight The works use a dramatic ambience
Murali Cheeroth, through his works, reveals his concern about physical and psychological aspects of violence that pervades contemporary reality. “I still cannot forget the incident in Ahmedabad which happened years ago,” he says. A horrif
ic accident near the Indian Institute of Management left three people bleeding profusely. While others were trying to help them, a man (who was decently dressed and seemed well educated) walks in. Instead of joining the help team, he asked: “Are these victims our people, or people from outside?”
“I was shocked,” recalls Murali. “How did it matter who these people were? They were suffering and needed help, that’s all. But, for this man other questions seemed important. This incident revealed so many things to me.” In the same breath, Murali recalls an incident in Kerala where a young girl was playing with what she thought was a ball; minutes later the bomb exploded and she lost both her tender hands for ever.
The forty-year-old Bangalore-based artist has seen life’s differing contours closely. Born in a small village in Kerala he developed interest in art since his early days. After acquiring Diploma in Painting from Govt. College of Art, Trissur in 1987, he left for Shantiniketan to complete his BFA and MFA in Graphic Art. His next stop was Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal where he stayed for a year before proceeding to Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad first as a resident artist and then as a faculty. Murali who has taught at College of Architecture, Ahmedabad and National Institute of Design has, since 2000, made Bangalore his home.
Murali has held several solo and two/three-person exhibitions besides participating in group shows in different cities of India as well as Sophia (Bulgaria), Bangkok, New York, Durban, and Dubai. Murali’s recent paintings seem like vignettes of an erupting city. The artist’s past involvement with theatre and continuing interest in cinema helps him present his images through unusual perspective and dramatic ambiance.
In his paintings, the human figure holds a sense of mystery. Isolated and enigmatic, its profile is either partially seen or intentionally blurred. Harshly illuminated by a flood of colourful neon lights, it seems to be living on the edge.
In several instances, Murali grasps the gait and movement of uniformed men, who are seen casually carrying weapons. There is an inherent sense of violence in all these works but the socio-political implications are carefully controlled and subdued.
Murali’s solo exhibition ‘mise-en-scéne’ is on from December 12 to 30, at Viart Gallery, Bharat Nagar Estate, New Friends Colony, New Delhi -110025. Phone: 011- 46515394 / 95.
GIRIDHAR KHASNIS
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