KOCHI: In the backdrop of serene grey skies, cassock-clad people are seen performing a séance. The religious ceremony gives an uncanny vibe with the use of a soft, mellowing light. Artist K T Mathai explains the thought behind the three paintings under the series titled ‘Nobody’s Séance’ on this ritual.
Mathai has always concentrated on the threats and exploitation that nature faces. Nobody’s Séance, one of his painting series, is being exhibited at the Shanghumugham Art Museum, Thiruvananthapuram.
Speaking on the title, Mathai said though spelled ‘Nobody’, the word is not to be taken literally. The in-depth meaning is no body, which defines nothingness and the quest for inner self. “While we were on a journey through Ganga, the holy river, I noticed how exploited she is and that was why I decided to do a painting on that topic”, he said.
The painting is adorned by a group of Sufi priests carrying out a procession and ritual. Through a séance, the artist brings out the dying holy river Ganga, Yamuna and other rivers. Filling the canvas with dark paints including grey and dark blue, with a coat of watercolours, the artist then painted the Sufi Priests with white in gouache colours.
The art does not convey the meaning directly and offers different ways for others to interpret. However, all his previous arts have conveyed the concept straight, he said. Besides water colouring, he also delves in oil painting, acrylic painting, charcoal drawing and many more. “I am happy that the capital city provides space for such arts and creativities,” he said.
“My first ever series is ‘Climacterics’. The idea occurred to me when I saw the land being excavated for building highways in Ernakulam outskirts. The sympathy and sadness I felt are what came out as that art,” he says. Following that piece, he has done over 40 other pieces to that series which was his first solo show at Ernakulam.