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Hide and seek with colours

Photo: H. Vibhu

Seeking the past Some of the works from the 38 on the show, Hide and Seek

An exhibition of paintings called ‘Hide and Seek’ is on at Gallery OED.

Remember the energetic, fun filled game of hide and seek. One played it as a child and recollects many a childhood memories associated with the game. So why name an art exhibition ‘Hide and Seek’? “Art objects are thought of as playful toys and even though playing is not serious activity it releases lot of pent up energy; so does art, it releases creative energy”, says Kavita Balakrishnan, curator of the exhibition. The show provides a platform to 13 artists from various parts of the country to display their works. The young artists’ wild imaginations and perceptions of the concept of hide and seek is what catch the eye and make one’s thoughts ponder.

Thirty eight bodies of work of artists including Anpu Varkey, Kajal Shah, Neema Vaghela, Pramodh Kumar, Prasad K P, Ruchin Soni, Roopashri, Sujil S, Sijith K S, Sumesh Kamballur, Umesh Unni, Varun Cursetji and the curator herself have being picked by Kavita and Dilip Narayanan, owner of the gallery. Dilip’s idea behind the exhibition is to promote young artists and deliberate art as investment.

Neema, a Baroda artist who started painting professionally in 2005, has brought in two of her works . Inspired by children and how they relate to toys, she brought her childhood toy pup to life through her painting. Using the layer method with acrylic on canvas, she has created textures to differentiate between the past and present. Neema faced many societal pressures which in turn gave her the independence to think freely and present her work through a negative and positive.

How the mind plays hide and seek with death is what Sujith has portrayed in his two works on display. Also a sculptor, Sujith spends all his time either working or reading. Sumesh on the other hand has taken a nostalgic trip down memory lane and found himself searching… that being a part of his identity, which has been artistically brought to canvas.

“Art can’t be a hobby, it’s a dedication”, says Roopashri, from Chitrakala Parishad, Bangalore. Her series of work is based on the changes in the Bangalore city life. Born and brought up there, she has encountered the changing landscapes. Losing the emotional attachment, she looks back and paints her way to this change. She strongly feels that each concept must have its own language and that is what drives her to bring out expansive, large scale works, each taking almost 20 days of her time. Two of these have been put on display.

It is no mystery that creative minds have exceptional imaginative and ingenious capabilities. A perfect example being Kavita. An artist, poet, curator, art historian and teacher, she began painting at a young age of nine. Having travelled to various parts of the country, she pursued her Masters in Edinburgh to nurture her stimulated sensibilities. Food and Democracy being her language of art, her works depict concerns for the grand, ritualistic narratives through the media. Shown in a lighter vein through the use of cartoons, she has brought out the morbidities of our politicians. “It’s not a Utopian world anymore, Idealism is dead”, Kavita quotes her philosophy, “You are your work”, she asserts. For her external narratives become less important and art takes importance. With two poetic works in Malayalam (translated in Hindi, English and Tamil), two books on Art in Malayalam and a Lalit Kala Akademi Award , Kavita is also spreading her philosophy through journalistic writing. Between all this, Kavita found solace through teaching. Being a youngster herself, she is able to relate to her students’ ideas and takes on everyday as a learning experience. She has two of her students participating in this exhibition.

‘Hide and Seek’ is on till July 25.

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