At the painting exhibition of Swami Shoonyam at the Nanappa Art gallery, there are pen drawings of a woman in the form of a tree trunk, as well as faces representing leaves. Another painting is of a boy playing on a riverbed along with his mother. Apparently, this resembles his beloved wife and son. A sari, decorated with Lord Krishna and Radha, was a gift to his wife for their 25th wedding anniversary.
These drawings were not pre-planned. Instead, it was done when the creative spark hit the swami and he would immediately reach out for a pen and paper. ‘’Clouds are the best art form in nature,’’ says Swami Shoonyam. It took many years for Babu Paul, who adopted the name of Swami Shoonyam, to come out with his first collection. And it happened in an unusual way. Swami Shoonyam had written a book, Vasanthathine Maunam, which consisted of his drawings and poems. Artist T Kaladharan, the owner of the Nannappa Art Gallery, happened to read it and was impressed. And it was he who persuaded the Swami to hold an exhibition.
Swami Shoonyam should be appreciated because his legs are paralysed and he is illiterate. “Nature is my teacher and experiences my mother,” he says. At present, he is teaching meditation at his ashram, ‘Pranayakulam’ near Piravom. It is also a place where plays are held as well as painting exhibitions and film discussions.
The exhibition will conclude by May 19.