CHENNAI: Illustrator-turned-artist V K Ashok seems to have a taken inspiration from the common phrase ‘deep down you always know it’ as he goes on an artistic expedition to the recesses of the unfathomable mind.
He says, “Often the person inside us is every different from the one who is seen from the outside. Antaryami is a journey into our minds to find the person residing inside. For some it may be Lord Krishna and for many it is just the power that makes our lives move,” he adds.
Ashok has interpreted the alter ego of every human existence — sometimes with a touch of feminine beauty and pure love — in charcoal and pen.
An alumnus of Osmania University, Ashok holds a degree in Fine Arts degree. And after working in newspapers and magazines as an illustrator, he switched to his long-time passion of painting. So far, he has had over 30 group shows and 12 solo shows across India and abroad.
Ashok has been working with series like musings, windows and now Antaryami that has spawned another series within its frame. “Parinay that is inspired by South Indian marriages is yet another theme within the Antaryami series. I have used the lotus to denote pure love,” he adds.
Deeply inspired by Pablo Picasso and M F Husain, Ashok adds that he finds inspiration in even the smallest of happenings in his surroundings. “In fact, common place events are the most powerful inspiration for me as an artist,” he says.
Antaryami 14 is on at Prakrit Arts, 102, Greenways Road, RA Puram, till July 25.