CHENNAI: The walls of the studio of city-based artist S Saravanan at Cholamandal Artists Village is alive and vibrant with his artworks. His one-man show titled ‘Tryst with Forms’ has a collection of 50 paintings, which he chose from the work that he has done in 10 years. Although an engineer by profession, Saravanan has been showcasing and participating in several group art shows since 1995.
“My father M Senathipathi, an eminent artist of the Madras Art Movement, is my mentor. He is the president of Cholamandal Artists Village. As a child, I remember travelling from my home in Saidapet to the studio at Cholamandal Artists Village where my father worked. The ambience and watching the workmanship of senior artists made a huge impact on me. This motivated me to pursue art as a full-fledged passion,” he shares.
The artist’s latest work on tribal and folk community draws inspiration from his travel to hill stations. The simplicity of their lives attracted him. He wanted to give the tribal people a visibility by portraying their everyday life. The colours are equally agile and energetic ranging from warm hues as sunny and tepid orange, earthy ochre, glowing red, sky blue and pastel green. The works are titled as Dream, Friends, Mother and Daughter, Tribal Village and Woman with Bird. The motifs and elements in the painting are predominantly nature related.
“I’ve tried three new combinations this time. Acrylic on handmade paper, acrylic on canvas and acrylic on metal relief. In metal relief, a copper sheet is embossed. Designs are engraved on it with a hammer. The final layer is coated with enamel to give it a glossy effect. Texture and composition play a huge role in the work. I used a brush and palette knife as a base layer in my composition,” he adds. Spanish painter Pablo Picasso is his inspiration.
“I’m also working on my dream series simultaneously. It will again focus more on the hidden treasures of the tribals. Once I start painting, I don’t like leaving it halfway through. No matter how many days it takes,” says Saravanan.
Tryst with Forms will be exhibited at Cholamandal Arts Village till September 28