Exploring stars on canvas

CHENNAI: Plutarch wasn’t wrong in saying that painting is silent poetry. The works of the twotime Lalit Kala Akademi winner H N Suresh stands to prove this point. Bhavans’ school hall in
Exploring stars on canvas
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CHENNAI: Plutarch wasn’t wrong in saying that painting is silent poetry.

The works of the twotime Lalit Kala Akademi winner H N Suresh stands to prove this point. Bhavans’ school hall in Mylapore houses his paintings, which can boast of interweaving science into a modern canvas.

Each portrait seems to reconcile the rich tradition of Indian iconography with the modern media of acrylic on canvas. The Rashi Mandala exhibition has travelled to select cities of America and Europe. After Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore and Trivandrum, now the collection has reached Chennai.

“They (the paintings) can connect with you the way you want to be connected.

The art of painting gives you the freedom to be imaginative, as the painter or viewer,” says the artist.

From the mandalas rooted in our scriptures to the Greek and Roman astrology symbols, the spurt of lively colours, bold lines and letters would in one glance remind you of Tibetan frescos or of intricate kolams. As John R Marr, an Indologist and art critic from London encapsulates the mood of the exhibition. “In mandalic form, the Navagrahas shine forth, each with the individual colour and symbols. He has brilliantly outlined the astrological with astronomical information — an educative work of art!” Suresh’s extensive four years of research in varied subjects is evident in his paintings. It was interesting to find that each graha has a unique Gayatri mantra or that Su-do-ku was very much a game played by the arithmetic wizards of ancient India. “You know, Indian astral sciences can predict the rise of the river Kosi to the very decimal point, something that science of method and reason never could predict correctly. Therein lies the power of great knowledge, my palette is only trying to understand it.” On the question whether his paintings, replete of extant ancient science, got potential spiritual powers he gushes, “For some this might be a modern art, for some this might be a visit to tantric traditions — clearly its’ your interpretation. I am happy that it made you think”

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