Jayanth Hubli, a multi-media artist, who hails from Belgaum, is in town with his month-long solo exhibition titled Shimmering Silhouettes. A series of charcoal expressions, the drawings try to tap into the human psyche. Bold strokes, grainy textures and a deconstructed look at the human race, make this series a one-of-a-kind exploration.
The beauty of these drawings lies in their dynamic nature, a kind of polarising effect that they create in your mind. Movements are blurred, the genders are not defined and there’s a shift from the personal to the collective. The repetitive motif of entwined figures gives the artist room to play with space and dimensions.
Jayanth’s father B K Hubli was a renowned artist from North Karnataka. “After completing my schooling in Belgaum I went to Mysore’s CAVA to hone my skills and graduated in 1986. I did a lot of watercolor works inspired by my father and later dabbled with oil, charcoal, colour pastels and mix media,” he says. According to Jayanth, his creations on wood veneer are considered to be unique and rare among Indian artists, which is how he was invited to the distinguished Jehangir Art gallery in Mumbai to exhibit his work and where it was very well received.
Jayanth likes to experiment with different media and lets the idea dictate the choice of medium. “When some idea or thought lingers in my head for too long, I map out how best to express it. It’s all so spontaneous that there isn’t really a conscious design, it’s more like a snapshot of what I felt at a particular point of time,” he explains. In the present series, charcoal lets the artist evocatively represent his idea, without the distraction of colours.
Jayanth’s inspiration comes from the ebb and flow of life around him. Interested in the pristine nature of the human form in its natural state, he tries to constantly juxtapose it with artistic interpretation. “The ability to examine something seemingly mundane and take it to a higher plane of consciousness is what I am obsessed with. Though, I don’t always think esoteric, often the subjects I depict are that of life outside the urban jungle set in the simple world that I grew up in. I often feel the need to preserve the rustic vignettes of that world that are etched in my mind,” he says.
Jayanth has many facets to himself, apart from being an artist. “I am big on sports, especially cricket. I used to play at the university level. In another avatar, I am a partner in a Bangalore-based advertising agency Purplehat; call it occupational hazard or whatever, but I like to indulge in photography too. I have plans of exhibiting my photographs sometime in the near future,” says Jayanth.
Talking of the future, Jayanth says, “It’s been a long and eventful journey. I’m pleased with how my work is gaining recognition across India and internationally.”
Shimmering Silhouettes, presented by The Art Quarter, is on till November 5, at the gallery located in Nellakunte Bettahalasur, Beyond Air Force Station, Yelahanka.