CHENNAI : Large canvases line the walls of ArtWorld, each depicting a human figure in great detail. The colourful paintings stimulated and captivated the eye, and the emotion emanating from each canvas kept the visitors to the ‘World Within Worlds’ exhibition transfixed on the art. The exhibition is a collection of artworks by veteran artist and president of the Cholamandal Arts Village, M Senathipathi, over the course of his career which spans over seven decades.
‘World Within His World’ was inaugurated by Michael Wegener, deputy consul general, consulate general of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chennai, on February 22 at ArtWorld, Cenotaph Road. In his speech, Wegener spoke of his own relationship with the 80-year-old artist, who studied art at the Government of Fine Arts, Chennai, when artist and founder of the Madras Art Movement, KCS Paniker, was president.
“The impressions his paintings left on me was breathless and magnificent. An artist makes a viewer feel that the paintings are alive. But, he transfers his paintings to a higher dimension, and make you feel happy,” he said. Using strong colours, intricate strokes and high attention to quality and detail, Senathipathi truly is a product of the movement that lasted for a greater part of the 60s. “My subjects are humans. I look inwards to reflect the emotions around me, and I look at human behaviour and emotions in my works,” said the artist.
With his fascination for mythology, he uses the relationship between Radha and Krishna to reflect love. He uses the imagery of dozens of hands capturing a body to depict insecurity, and he uses the universal bonds between humans to depict friendship. Each piece is a love letter to art itself with minute strokes of different colours sprinkled across each corner of the canvas.
The artist’s acrylic works offer a mild three-dimensionality to the canvas drawing the eye towards the exact place Senathipathi wants his viewers to be drawn into. World Within His World will be held at ArtWorld, on 3rd street off Cenotaph Road till March 31 from 11 am to 6 pm, and will be closed only on Sundays and public holidays. For details, call: 24338691