KOCHI: Life on the fringes, often in conflict, and deeply rooted in nature — that’s the theme of G Reghu’s worlds sculpted in ceramics.
Selected works of this prolific artist are currently on display at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi. Notably, this is the first time the Thiruvananthapuram native is displaying his works in his home state.
“A Malayali can never forget Kerala. There is a pureness in that, in our connection to our homes,” he says from his studio in Bengaluru, as he moulds faces in clay.
There is poetry in how he works with clay and creates a language of his own. They are expressive and alive, faces that stare deep into one’s soul.
It was pure coincidence how Reghu found his calling in ceramics. It was 1987, and after completing his studies at Thiruvananthapuram Art College, Reghu continued his training at the famous Bharat Bhavan of Bhopal.
“That opportunity gave me a new direction. There I could witness M F Husain at work. Also, artists such as J Swaminathan, who was teaching at Bharat Bhavan, hugely influenced me,” he recalls.
There, within six months, after he finished working with materials like stone and terracotta, Reghu ventured into ceramics, seeking a new medium for his creative expressions. Maybe it was like finding a new home; Reghu never looked back after the first batch of his sculptures came out of the wooden kiln.
“Ceramic sculptures were rare at the time. It was mainly used for pottery. But for me, it became the medium for communication. In a way, it was a new movement,” he smiles.
Bharat Bhavan was a turning point for him in other ways as well. The tribal and rural lives, and the intricate bond between humans and animals, became the central themes of his work there.
“That was the golden era of Bharat Bhavan,” Reghu says. Luminaries of the art world were all there, working, teaching and creating at the institution.
“I used to visit tribal settlements in Bastar during my long stint at the institution. There is a beauty and element of determination to their lives, always marginalised, on the sidelines. Tribals are one of the most invisible people in our country. And that is why I wanted to talk about them,” he says.
He also captures them at their leisure — smoking beedi amid the grazing cows, sitting down for a chat, having tea... his subjects are multifaceted.
Not just tribals, Reghu has also explored the bond between mother and child through his works. A pregnant woman with a baby in her belly, a mother holding her child, etc., are images he works with.
“There are different themes that I adopt in my work as time moves. While tribal lives are the central theme, sometimes our soldiers, yoga practices, motherhood, etc., also become part of my works,” he explains.
The exhibition will conclude on September 29.