BENGALURU: Rooted in South India’s landscapes, AK Ramanujan’s poems resonate with universal themes of love, loss, and the quest for meaning. Whether through his original works or translations of ancient Kannada and Tamil poetry, Ramanujan sought to blend modernity with tradition. This week, Bengalurueans can experience his poetry through a new medium.
The exhibition Tribute to Ramanujan, features works by renowned artist SG Vasudev, which are largely visual representations of Ramanujan’s works. On display till March 24, at the Indian Institute of World Culture (IIWC), Basavanagudi, the initial inspiration for the exhibition came from the poet.
“I was first introduced to AK Ramanujan by Girish Karnad in the 1960s. Later, I went on to do cover designs for his books, and he also acquired some of my paintings. And sometime in the early ’90s, when he had come to Bengaluru – which he often did – he visited my studio. He saw some of my drawings and sketches – some of which were unfinished or abandoned. He was surprised to find out the number of revisions that I did before finalising a cover design. I told him the process was more or less the same as writing. You write, edit, and rewrite,” shares Vasudev, adding, “He thought it was very interesting and wondered if I could do the drawings, reacting to his poems. He told me, you do the drawings and I will come and read those poems at the exhibitions. I took it up as a challenge and started working on them. But soon after, he passed away.”
Despite Ramanujan’s passing, Vasudev continued with the project, creating a series of 35 artworks inspired by the poet’s English and Kannada poems. The first showcase of these works in 1995 saw Karnad stepping in to recite the poems, filling the void left by Ramanujan.
“This time, we are showcasing 28 works. And 26 are based on Ramanujan’s works, while two are my tributes to Ramanujan, the person. I looked up to him as a powerful head, like a Kathakali dancer who has so many things around his head. That’s one drawing. The second one is the depiction of him as an avatar of Vishnu,” he adds.