Bringing hope to the turf of tumult

Artist Binoy Verghese has a unique way of turning the mundane into an object of great circumspection.
Art from Let a 100 Flowers  Bloom by Binoy Verghese
Art from Let a 100 Flowers Bloom by Binoy Verghese

Artist Binoy Verghese has a unique way of turning the mundane into an object of great circumspection. Whether it’s a simple painting of sari-clad women under a large yellow tree, a group of girls smiling, portraits of children standing causally,  or a cluster of innocent faces, it doesn’t remain ordinary anymore. In his new exhibition titled, Let a 100 Flowers Bloom, Verghese presents simplicitic renditions that uncover simmering emotions born out of the tumultuous times,  along with bringing out hope from within each one of them.

For every question we ask, a monosyllabic answer follows. He is a man of few words but his imageries cream crude reality. Through portraits of torment due to the violence prevalent in society, among other things, he has made loud statements about our social conditions. In this showcase, he makes a clear departure. “My art is now more mature and measured. I create carefully planned compositions in fine imagery around the same themes. My thoughts have turned intense and complex as my protagonists are young girls or children, who hide deep turmoil inside them.

In Let a 100 Flowers Bloom, there is also an emphasis on feminine figurative forms that rest within the larger context of avarice and hatred. “But my art is not just about pain. It also brings people and places, castes and creed into a melting pot of celebration of the formidable human spirit,” says Verghese.

Of all the paintings, there’s one that deserves a special mention. It’s the one that studies musicians from Hanoi, Vietnam. These triptychs accentuate the nuances of water puppet dance from the region. “The traditional orchestra and the singers dressed in their beautiful attire fascinated me. I took photographs of this scene, came back and translated these photo into realistic images on to canvas. When I recreate a image, the choice of colours, the facial expressions, the materials of their clothes, and the colour palette becomes vital,” he says.

The artist’s deeply saturated works are derived from photography and digital media. Referencing is done indirectly from the world around him. “My ability to draw realistic imageries with photo like finishes, gives my work a distinct appeal. With their wide open eyes, large lips, roundish smiling faces busily engrossed in their own world,” he says, emphasising that his trajectory has and will continues to revolve around human concerns and social issues triggered by displacement, migration, rural/urban divide, clash of cultures, gender discrimination and violence, and how the work encourages for peace and hope.

“The vibrancy of colour  successfully seeps into the desolate subjects, translating them into metaphors of hope. The focus will be on the dilemma that the society, its people and the various movements are trying to grapple with,” he says.

Let 100 Flowers Bloom: On till November 4, from 11 am to 7 pm, Palette Art gallery, 14 Golf Links.

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