BELLARY: Mohammad Rafi says he has a long way to go, but a look at his paintings makes that hard to believe. From BJP leader Advani to Ballari Deputy Commissioner, all have admired his art works. His gift seems as big as the canvases themselves. Ballari Deputy Commissioner Ram Prasath Manohar wanted a picture of Sir Thomas Munro, the first deputy commissioner of Ballari, who later on became the Governor of Madras province between 1820 and 1827. Having seen a life-size picture of Munro in Chennai, Prasath wanted a local artist, who could do justice to the picture. After much deliberations, the job was entrusted to Mohammed Rafi, a Ballari-based artist with instructions that the picture should be on par with the one in Chennai.
A 3D painting emerged on the wall of the DC’s quarters after a couple of months and he was very happy. Rafi has tread a long path to reach the top as an artist in this district. His is the story of a self-made artist, who began the journey as a banner artist in the Kannada film Industry in the 1980s.Then he took up a job as a co-ordinator in a local NGO at Kudligi as he pursued his passion.
Rafi has no formal education or a degree in art. But like the Ekalvya of Mahabharata, who learnt archery on his own in front of a statue of Dronacharya, the guru of the royal princes, Rafi is a ‘student’ of his Guru, the Kalaburagi-based artist S M Pandit, whom he has never met. The works of great artists like Raja Ravivarma, B K S Varma and Yusuf Arakkal too influenced him a lot.
He works on almost everything, both macro as well as micro. But it is his micro works in the traditional style that are drawing the people. His magic touch has come on an unexpected canvas. The Ramayana — from the birth of Rama to the death of Ravana — is painted on egg shells, and Krishna’s childhood or ‘Baalaleela’ on palm leaves in Mysore’s style of traditional painting.
“Ramayana on an egg is a sensitive matter. But I went ahead with it. Every birth has origin in egg. The egg, being oval, resembles a mother’s womb and the universe itself. I feared that I might trigger a controversy, but people received it positively. I even received an award in the name of my guru S M Pandit from Shantaveera Mahaswamiji of Kulashanteshwar Mutt in Arasikere,” he says.
His next major venture, Krishna’s childhood (Balaleela) on palm leaves. He says that the ancient texts and other important manuscripts were written and preserved on these leaves. “They have been a source of information and inspiration for scholars and literary persons and researchers. I wanted to see if I can paint on them and keep the tradition alive. I hope to attract the younger generation towards this. I want them to know about the palm leaves,” he says. He used natural and vegetable colours for this masterpiece.
On Lord Krishna, Rafi says, “Krishna is an inspiration for any artist — his hair, peacock feather, his flute, and his mischievous childhood. We can feature him throughout our life. So is Lord Ganesha — his trunk, his ears, and Mooshika Vahana, the serpent around his stomach —every artist is attracted to him.”
Except for the 3D paints, where he uses acrylic, Rafi uses natural colours, which he prepares in a traditional manner. But his colours are based on the canvas he uses. For instance, for his Ramayana on egg shells, he used herbal colours, zinc stone. “The egg is basically water-resistant. The gum will ensure the colour sticks to it and gives a longer life,” he says.
Rafi does background work, a discussion and a research about the subject he plans to paint. Before beginning Ramayana, he spoke to several pundits and debated with them on why he should not paint on eggs and placed his arguments. He studied Ramayana and Krishna’s childhood.Rafi has been honoured with various awards for his work, but he says it is not the end of the journey.
RAFI AND ADVANI
Rafi was entrusted with painting a picture from the Ramayana in 2004, where he had painted a picture of King Dasharatha teaching his sons. The painting adorned an old-age home constructed by the politician Reddy brothers in memory of their parents. Senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, who came for its inauguration, saw the painting and liked it so much that he asked Janardhan Reddy about the painter. Advani was so much impressed by Raf’s work that he asked him to a do a similar painting for him.
HAMPI ON CANVAS
Rafi has an unending passion for Hampi and Ballari and many of his works on the Hampi landscape include some imaginary inputs in 3D, where one can even touch and feel the work. His work on monuments of Hampi and paintings of Ballari street are a classic example of his imagination. “I have never seen an art work coming to life. Rafi ‘s images breathe life,” says Nisti Rudrappa, former president, Ballari District Kannada Sahitya Parishat.