HYDERABAD: The recent solo show by S Kantha Reddy at State Gallery of Art, Madhapur contained a series of selected drawings rendered by the artist in the last few years. A professional sculptor and faculty for sculpture at JNAFAU College of Fine Arts Kantha Reddy does drawings on regular basis. “I register and express my experiences, observations and contemplations about everything in my sketch book.”
The exhibition titled ‘My Sketch Book’ imbibed into itself myriad excerpts from the artist’s life, like a personal diary. While talking about the importance of drawing for an artist he said, “Drawing’ is like a skeleton for every artist, just as the skeleton holds and gives form to a human body, drawing supports the work of an artist and grants his expression a strong base and foundation.”
The drawings rendered by the artist were simplified and the artist refrains himself from making them overtly crowded with forms or multiple ideas.
The black and white ink drawings by the artist imbibed a sensitivity and simplicity that enthralled. The space is rich in textural extravagance and creates allegorical references that reach out to the viewer instantly. The metaphorical forms, often geometrical and sometimes abstract weave multiple anecdotes of seen as well as unknown and unseen lands.
The sketches by the artist were inspired by his day-to-day life and so the concepts and images are immensely eclectic. A wide array of emotional upheavals, moments of contemplations as well as times of silent pauses and retreats get exemplified through these drawings. A series of drawings based on mushrooms, curved into lyrical stances and reflecting connection with human bodies. In yet another drawing the bulb of the mushroom represented the branches of a tree.
These works where the artist talked about the importance of being safe while driving, have originated from some very personal experiences and yet had the intensity to relate and get connected with everyone.
The artist made use of perfect visual metaphors to transform his dialogue onto his medium of expression; like a series of works with a distorted human figure with multiple pairs of hands symbolises the importance of persistent hard work.
Another series of works based on doors, brought forth the façades of houses where the surrounding elements and decorations also get mentioned in a stylistically rich manner.