Yusuf Arakkal's tryst with Jesus Christ continues... And, Christ has become one of the many abiding thematic influences for his canvas. "It was my grandmother, who despite being a staunch Muslim, introduced me to Jesus and Sri Krishna. I don't consider myself as a religious person, but I do hold both figures in great admiration. I find meaning in Krishna's teachings in the Bhagwad Gita and Christ's call for love and compassion is very compelling," says Arakkal.
In 2010, Arakkal picked his brushes to start work on a series on Christ. It has taken him three years to finally finish the 15-piece labour of love - one work is 18-feet long. The paintings depict only Christ and no other figure. In Arakkal's version of The Last Supper, Christ is seen with bread and wine. The others to join him at the table are represented by glasses and plates. Twelve of these paintings may just make their way to an exhibition at the Vatican Museums, Vatican City in 2014. A final decision is awaited towards the end of the year.
Another painting has already been picked up by Museum of Sacred Arts, Belgium.
Back in 1999, when Arakkal wanted to paint a 'millennium personality', he picked Christ. This time it was a two-part art work measuring eight feet by eight feet and titled 'Crucifixion and Resurrection'. "It took me six months to do that one. I was inspired by Salvador Dali's paintings of Jesus, who I recently discovered was in turn inspired by Saint Sebastian's impressions of the crucifixion. For my own work, apart from Dali, I used my sketches of Malayalam actor Babu Antony as a base," he says.
Incidentally, Arakkal's wife Sara, who runs Galerie Sara Arakkal in Brookefield, is Christian and will soon be on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. "My fascination with Christ or Sri Krishna has nothing to do with my proximity to any religion or for that matter, religion at all. It's about what these personalities stand for," he says.
It was back in the sixties when after training in portraiture under Jaya Varma, from the family of Raja Ravi Varma, that a young Arakkal first set out to paint Jesus Christ and since has continued to be inspired by him.
