With the advent of technology, photographs may have replaced paintings but nothing can ever substitute the human touch. Technology and AI can never do what a stroke of a brush can, says artist Shibu Natesan at his solo watercolour exhibition at Delhi’s Art Alive gallery.
Natesan travels the world with his empty canvas, ready to fill it with things his eyes capture. From the colourful markets of Uzbekistan to the lush green Kerala temples, his brush fills life into all. His exhibition, ‘Mirror Man, Mirror Me’, showcases one of his largest watercolour collections to date. Spanning two floors of the gallery, the show traces Natesan’s evolving visual vocabulary over the past decade.
Known for his fusion of hyperrealism and surreal symbolism, Natesan’s art captures intricate detail, exploring light, shadow, and atmosphere with precision. His recent works echo the serenity of 19th- and early-20th-century European Impressionists while reflecting his meditative approach to painting.
Born in Trivandrum in 1966, Natesan discovered his passion for painting early in life and was trained at the College of Fine Arts, Trivandrum, during the politically charged 1980s.
Two worlds
In this new body of work, Natesan turns inward, exploring themes of gaze, identity, and introspection through the delicate medium of watercolours. The exhibition brings together landscapes, portraits, and still lifes that reflect both the artist’s inner world and his keen observation of the external one.
“The title ‘Mirror Man, Mirror Me’ reflects how my art mirrors the world around me,” says Natesan. “Capturing the intensity of a moment is more important to me than following a theme.” He further elaborates on how paintera used to be considered mirrors as their work reflected life. “To me, successful paintings are like mirrors, and they must speak to the people,” he says.
Founder-director of the gallery Sunaina Anand describes the exhibition as a celebration of Natesan’s mastery: “It is among his largest watercolour showcases in Delhi, featuring works that highlight his refined technique and deep engagement with societal values. Inspired by European masters, Natesan’s visual language remains intimate, reflective, and timeless,” she says. There is another solo show of his planned in Delhi this January.
A personal journey
Shaped from his travel experiences, Natesan says his paintings are extremely personal. “For me art and artist are one, and they are inseparable.” Most of his works are plein air paintings, a French term meaning “in the open air”, which refers to the practice of painting outdoors, directly observing the subject in its natural setting.
The exhibition also features a collection of his self-portraits capturing his left profile. He says that the self-portraits are an expression of his deep emotional thoughts. “I am essentially a loner, and as an artist you feel a lot of things when you are alone. My self-portraits are an attempt to capture myself in different moods,” he says.
On a walk through the gallery, Natesan spoke about how the mundane moments of daily life often inspire his art. “Certain people, places, and things seem to desire being painted, while others resist capture,” he adds. During his travels across various countries, he has formed lasting connections with many of his subjects, one of whom even attended his Delhi exhibition.
Natesan’s work has been showcased in London, New York, Amsterdam, Mumbai, and New Delhi, with recent exhibitions including ‘Four Favourites and Other Works’ (Art Alive Gallery, 2024) and ‘Retinal Pleasure’ (2023). A recipient of the Uriot Prize during his residency at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam, in 1996, Natesan continues to be celebrated for transforming everyday stillness into profound visual poetry.
On view at Art Alive Gallery, Gamal Abdel Nasser Marg, Block S, Panchsheel Park, till November 20, from 10.30 am to 7 pm
