KOCHI:“There are no two things, art and life. They are both one and expressed in the same way. It is from this realisation that one should work,” late artist Asanthan used to say. True to his words, his works portray the troubled life of the marginalised. And, true to his words once again, his life and death portrayed the difficulty in being one among these sects.
Entering the ‘D’ Gallery of the Durbar Hall, one is welcomed by the disturbing yet sentimental imagery of beauty and vivid colours. They not only bring out the unique colour composition perfected over time, but they are a close reflection of the injustice and difficulty faced by those in the margins.‘Santhasmarana’, an exhibition held in honour of artist Asanthan by the Kerala Lalita Kala Akademi, is being held at Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi, under the curation of Shaju Nellayi. The exhibition, which began on May 16, will conclude on May 22.
“Asanthan’s paintings are done on different mediums such as acrylic on canvas, charcoal, cow dung and soil on paper. His paintings are about mangroves and marginalised people”, said Shaju. He noted that Ashanthan grew up in such circumstances and it is only logical that he portrayed these as his masterpieces.
A major characteri stic of his paintings is, they are unnamed. His charcoal paintings focus on people who struggle in life. In one of his acrylic paintings, Ashanthan attempts to portray life as he has experienced it. The artist has portrayed what happens after death. It seems the artist wants to say that no matter what kind of death one faces, he or she will go to the other side of the realm like everybody else.
Asanthan, who was based in Kochi, passed away in February from a heart attack. His death caused an alarming controversy related to casteism. When the Akademi decided to keep his body at Durbar Hall for public viewing, the authorities of the temple nearby protested leading to a major outcry in the society.