KOCHI: The Himalayas, in all its glory, is itself an enchanting sight. The magnificent mountain with its insurmountable might and colossal allure speaks volumes about the artist that the nature is.
The myriad faces of the Himalayas, the steep and narrow paths that lead to it and the life of the people who depend on it, come alive in ‘Kailash Yathra’, the exhibition of water colour paintings that is going on at Durbar Hall Art Gallery. The exhibition will run till October 19.
The 35 works exhibited there brings alive the life of the people there, the locales, the sky, religious symbols and the icy abodes of gods in lighter-but-dominant shades. The frames are also a mirror to the lifestyle of those who find shelter in the Himalayas.
Satheesh Vellinezhi, an assistant editor/Illustrator with The Hindu, says he was enamoured by the beauty of Kailash and the vivid colours the defined the place.
“The only colours that define our landscapes are shades of green and blue. But, the belts of Himalayas give out yellow and purple in all its beauty owing to its atmospheric conditions. The shades itself are awe-inspiring,” says Satheesh.
Though done in water colour, the works capture Himalayas and its life in all its details. “Water colour is my favourite medium thought it is a tedious task and lacks the felicity that oil and acrylic offer,” says the artist.
Awe-inspiring canvases on man and beast, mountains and skies and religious symbols come alive in the ebullient simplicity.
Satheesh Vellinezhi says a journey to Kailash is something every people should undertake at least once in their life and his passion for the place reflects in the work.
The images mirror Himalayan life - Buddhist monks, monasteries, rugged mountains, bridges, tents, sheep, architecture and lifestyle - in all its details and grandeur.
The artist also intelligently uses colours, the light shades and white being the prominent ones.
One among the works had bagged the Kerala Lalithakala Academy’s Vijayaraghavan Endowment Gold Medal for Landscape in 2011. He is also adept at painting in the mural style.