HYDERABAD: Heart, they say, is made of various walls. The fire in it moulds several of its shapes layer by layer, bit by bit, frame by frame. The construction continues till the flesh stops its clock. And it’s not unusual to find this ‘organ of fire’ in different kilns acquiring a form each time it encounters a different mind, a different perception. That’s how when the same is seen from the eye of an artist it takes a different shape and forms a different connotation. Manohar Chiluveru’s artwork explores the surface of the heart through his sculpture.
The scarlet organ is a colony of flora and fauna coexisting in complete undisturbed equilibrium. On the artwork are crafted butterflies, dragonflies, bulls, palm trees, and fish all painted in red, the surface glistens almost in a manner which suggests the universality of their abode, the home: of memories, vignettes, snapshots, broken scenes and more. The artwork is suggestive not just of the bright ones, there are scorpions and bats as well almost from pages penned by Edgar Allan Poe with the bleakness, the devilish taste intact.
The saga of bloodied surfaces continues in another rather chilling sight of a sculpture in medium height created in torn red fabric, of course wrapped around a heart. Its surface is punctured with different syringes; the cloth in its background is torn, burnt, blasted. Is this the artist’s heart? Or everybody else’s? Manohar sighs and shares, “Our hearts are broken. We all need love to revive us. To rekindle the life inside us.” That’s why the series is called ‘Love. Peace. Balance’.
His art exhibition titled ‘Amour– Paix – ÉquilIbre’ ongoing at Alliance Francaise Hyderabad is part of an ongoing work comprising his international travel as a collective to be a part of which he has invited other artists as well. Manohar is in Rome at present bringing in more stories. He meets different people and documents their perceptions in his artworks. The Warangal-born artist adds, “The world is in pain thanks to several issues. Love is beyond man and woman. The whole planet needs it.” His series is a mix of old and news art works. He is visiting eight cities including Rome, Cairo, Pallini, Venice, Barcelona, Paris, Milan, and Berlin getting more tales for his objets d’art. The artist shares, “It’s my independent project though some government organisations are helping.” He completed his art studies in JNTU and UoH. He has also studied at Chelsea School of Art and Design for a short term curatorial programme. He has started Kriya Art Foundation in Amsterdam developing exchange art programmes. On till December 26.
— Saima Afreen
saima@newindianexpress.com
@Sfreen