The edge of many of Thomas’ canvas has a steely-eyed cat. The feline is a mute spectator to the tumultuous state of the world. The cat may be the conscience of the artist itself, whose each work gestures a clear message towards the society.
From environmental issues to the injustice meted out to women to the estrangement of tribals, the grim realities of life drive the artist rather than creative reveries. ‘Dripping Colours’, the mixed media works of K P Thomas, done in drizzling yellows and reds, are unique for the intense portrayal of the humane aspects of lives.
The show having a number of works, both small and large, has the vehement angst of the artist towards the neglect of the voiceless as its central theme. “These works are my reflections on the grievous incidents that happens around us,” says the artist.
The vigorousness of the brush strokes demonstrates the intensity of the subjects that the artist has tried to tell. A work on the stoic nuns done against the backdrop of sober yellow, is one among the many paintings that throws light on the plight of women. ‘She’ appears as the helpless fisher women in deep red yearning long for the golden fish, a demure figure with a bonsai tree as a motif to her inability to grow and much more.
“Women and cats are my pet topics,” reveals the artist. There is a floating head of a martyr done in dark tinges. “The painting is about the political murders and the subsequent hullabaloo in the state. There is an eagerness to drag the person to all corners which I have tried to tell,” he says.
For the self-taught artist who originally hails from Wayanad, the life of tribals has been a constant subject of contemplation. Not surprising, many of his works are based on the legends among tribals like Karinthandan. A work predominantly done in black and red, that has piercing faces, speaks volumes about breaking the chained spirits.
Thomas says, “The tribals have always lived in perfect harmony with Nature. We cannot live this way for long. There is a dire need to turn back and rethink about the days of yore,” warns the artist.
The show has packed a surprise for the viewers in the form of ‘waste paper works’. Small paintings on umpteen topics done in envelopes, print outs, and even newspaper sheets have a story to unwind. “For many years I was a bank employee. When I felt constrained within the walls of the office, I wanted a change in the quotidian life I was leading. Soon I started drawing on waste papers piled on my desk in the office,” says the artist.
The works done over a long period of time has an experimental quality and they deal with a wide range of subjects. The akademi award winning artist credits his camaraderie with an eclectic class of people like Mammootty and documentary director K P Jayashankar for the artist in him.
“It was the golden 1970s that shaped the artist in me,” he says. Young Thomas who came to Maharajas College from the high range with a fiery heart still has the passion intense within him.
The show at Durbar Hall art gallery will be on till this Sunday.