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Art and soul
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Intricately carved rice grains and sandalwood are on display at the "Soul of India" exhibition at the CCIE
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Craft for the connoisseur — Pic. by K. Pichumani
THE NINE masterpieces on view at the "Soul of India" exhibition at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium not only capture the essence of Indian craftsmanship, but also leave you wonderstruck.
Superbly conceptualising religion and mythology, master carvers and national award winners T. K. Murthy and T. K. Bharani have crafted a series of delicate images, frames and vignettes out of rice grains and sandalwood.
Bharani's micro miniature carvings in sandalwood give expression to various scenes from Hindu mythology in which God literally and metaphorically is in the detail. In the sandalwood reproduction of Balaji, there is poetry in the oddiyanam that adorns the deity and in the 2,000 delicate flowers that make up the garland.
Exquisitely carved
Sivapuranam features a mandapam full of exquisitely carved elephants, yalis, swans and peacocks. Ravaneshwara, playing the veena, is another fine piece as is the Sahasralingam frame in which Siva is depicted in 108 poses of the Tandav Nritya. The piece also features 1,008 lingams.
From facial expression to postures, Bharani's micro miniatures make great collector's items.
T. K. Murthy's Dasavataram and The Last Supper are excellent examples of rice carving. One can see through a magnifying glass, the minute details of the faces of Christ and his disciples.
For art lovers there is an Orissa ikat tussar, specially woven to represent the `Soul of India'.
In dramatic black and white it has tribal dancers woven all over, capturing both the vibrance of tribal art as well as the magic of the ikat weave.
The exhibition is on at the CCIE, Temple Towers, 476, Anna Salai, Nandanam till February 9.
PUSHPA CHARI
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