CHENNAI: Blending science with artistic creativity, botanical illustrator Suresh Ragavan organised a solo painting exhibition titled “Brushstrokes of Endemic Echoes” at Kadambari Art Gallery in Dakshinachitra Museum, near ECR, Chennai.
The event, inaugurated on Sunday, will run until June 2, showcasing detailed paintings of India’s avian life, particularly species from the Western Ghats.
C Elango, assistant conservator of forests, Chennai, was the chief guest, and Subhiksha Lakshmi Maxima, education officer from WWF India, was the guest of honour during the inauguration.
Through this exhibition, Suresh aims to raise awareness about the urgent need to preserve India’s biodiversity. Forests thrive when plants, birds, and wildlife coexist harmoniously, but climate change, deforestation, and human encroachment are threatening this delicate balance, he said in a release.
With over three decades of experience at the Botanical Survey of India, Suresh said he spent a large part of his life watching, studying, and painting bird species.
The exhibition features 157 endemic, endangered, IUCN, and Red List birds of India, with each artwork portraying scientifically accurate details like colour patterns, posture, and gender differences.
Captions will be placed on each painting with the species names, food habits, lifespan, and conservation status.
“Birds are early indicators of ecological health, and saving them is a step toward saving our ecosystems,” Ragavan said.
The exhibition is open from Wednesday to Monday from 10 am to 6 pm with extended hours until 7 pm on weekends. The gallery remains closed on Tuesdays.