THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For Bejoy S B, art is a tool to portray the political issues across the country. His latest work signifies the lack of respect shown by Indian political parties to Mahatma Gandhi.
According to Bejoy, the philosphy of Gandhi is being hijacked by political parties today. “For politicos, he is just a statue,’’ he says.
On Gandhi Jayanti Day, Bejoy completed the work on Mahatma. One of the works in the series shows a person tied up by a rope with lotuses on it, a clear political message against the unrest in the country. This work was put on display at an exhibition recently organised by the Chitrakala Parishath in the city.
The huge economic and political divide that exists between the poor and the rich sections of Indian society is another theme explored by Bejoy. An image of Chandrayaan 2 is depicted in the background of a painting that shows a poverty-stricken man holding a lotus.
“The launch of Chandrayaan satellite was more valued among the upper class. Whereas it is of no benefit to the poor who are dying due to poverty. Many of those who follow the saffron party don’t know what benefits they get by supporting them,” said Bejoy.
Another striking work has a man with eyes bound by a red scarf. The image, according to the painter, hints at a person who is blinded by Communist ideals. “The red scarf symbolises the Communist party which prevents the person from seeing the outside world,’’ said Bejoy.
Art has enticed Bejoy right from his childhood days, though nature was his muse then. The shift towards telling political stories had been a rewarding experience for him. Oil, acrylic and charcoal are the three mediums used by Bejoy. Most of his works use a combination of yellow and black shades. So far, Bejoy has participated in 25 group painting exhibitions.
That said, the artist believes streets are the best platform to showcase art. “We can interact with all sections of society and spread our message to them,’’ he adds. Bejoy has also organised Nammavara, a street art exhibition in Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Delhi. He will take the same to Kozhikode soon. Bejoy is also working on a painting series based on women empowerment.