Narration through art is not a novel idea, but how about being able to venture into the depths of a frame, almost like flipping pages of a book? Kahaani, the exhibition at Prakrit Art Gallery guarantees this unique experience. With a string of stories picked from Indian mythology and a world of puppetry, Bolgum Nagesh Goud’s paintings have spectators turning abstract readers.
The paintings are done using clever connotations, zooming in on the characters to indicate their significance and using colours to convey emotions. So a tale from the Ramayana would include Rama’s and Sita’s face emboldened in acrylic. This forms the base, just like how every story has a protagonist, a central angle and the thread that ties things together! Within the contours of their faces, the pen and ink works wonders, capturing the moment when Sita was enticed by the beauty of a deer and commanded Lakshman to get it for her, or the bitter phase of Sita’s abduction by Ravana.
Inspite of the highly intricate designs and an intelligible palette, the paintings still reflect simplicity. Distinct colours — blue for Vishnu and his forms and orange for Sita, stereotypical bindis and namams to distinguish between the sexes, and familiar tales, have one walking in tune with the array of his works.
Along with the gods, the kahaani of puppets and their masters shouts for attention. This series stands out for its coloured lines and strokes which smoothly translate from one to the next. A face with A connoisseur’s moustache and a host of faces bobbing on his cheeks and forehead, makes for an interesting analogy of how puppets help narrate stories.
In stark contrast to the ancient stories and divine images, a work using digital art seems ironic and experimental. But, erasing all speculation is a work done in mixed media, wherein a riot of flashy colours form the wings of an owl, making the nocturnal brown bird suddenly seem like a snatch of rainbow. The print makes for a colourful base, the hand-done acrylic gives the embossed effect and the pen and ink define the ruffle of feathers.
With an equal ease in conveying the breeziness of nature or the intricacy of ornaments, creativity for Nagesh comes out of a rabbit’s hat. His paintings play with your sense of perception, make you guess a little and become a participant in the visual journey. The exhibition is on at Prakrit Art Gallery till September 25.