BENGALURU: They says the art makes an artist immortal and the ongoing show of Yusuf Arakkal’s work is a classic example of it. The renowned late painter always wanted to host an exhibit in Bengaluru to showcase his works. But unfortunately, that could never happen during his lifetime. However, with the support of the curators from National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) and the cooperation of Sara Arakkal, Yusuf’s wife, a retrospective has been set up to fulfil his unmet wish.
Born and raised up in Kerala, Arakkal’s heart always belonged to this city as he felt that Bengaluru gave him more than his expectations. Spending months on the town’s pavements, most of his artwork are based on humanity and the struggles of daily life. There isn’t really any specific genre for his works. That is what makes him stand out from the rest.
Starting from documenting whatever he came across while travelling to designing structures of wheels and pipes with an amalgamation of emotions to making portraits of notable personalities, the uniqueness, and diversity of his pieces are exceptionally impressive.
He loved exploring different techniques and that is quite evident from the pieces displayed in the gallery. From copper, granite, mud, oil on canvas, watercolour, terracotta, and steel to making art digitally, he has covered a wide range of techniques over the years.
He was a tech geek and that made him mix his painting subjects from his work life with daily things and nature. The exhibition put up in the NGMA is exceptionally well-curated. Arakkal is known for covering a wide range of genres. At least one work from each of his popular series has been displayed in the gallery which throws light upon the specific sequels’ topic.
“It was an amazing experience to put this together. It was a long-awaited event. Sara and my curator team have been working on this for the past year. Witnessing the overwhelming response from the audience since the inauguration day has melted our hearts,” says Nazneen Banu, the director of NGMA, Bengaluru.
When we asked Sara Arakkal, which specific series or sculpture is she most attached to, she said, “Well, it’s very hard to choose one when I have spent so many years with them.
My attachment to each and every piece is extremely deep. Every time I have to part with a piece, I feel very sad about it. In the end, it is really hard for me to let go of any of these creations as I have been preserving them for all these years with the utmost love and passion. This is all I have to cherish the person with whom I have spent 43 years.”
Arakkal was known for being a very down-to-earth person and that is reflected in each of his creations. Even though he had travelled and hosted shows all around the world, his heart always belonged to Bengaluru.
The exhibition will be hosted by NGMA till the 30th of November 2022 and anyone who wants to catch a glimpse of his creations can visit the gallery.