KOCHI: Paintings are a reflection of the thoughts of the painter. The exhibition,’Remembering M V Devan’ held at Durbar Hall was such a reflection on the thought process of one of the colossal figures in the cultural scenario of Kerala.
T Kaladharan, painter and director of Orthic Creative Center was the force behind this event. A student of M V Devan and his companion since 1972, Kaladharan expressed anguish at not being able to be present at the death bed of the legendary figure and said that the exhibition was a way of honouring his guru.
Over 40 leading artists from all over India paid homage to M V Devan who had made significant cultural interventions in Kerala. He was a well known illustrator, organizer, orator, writer, critic and architect.
Some of the works of art being exhibited are by towering personalities of Indian art such as Akbar Padamsee, Paritosh Sen, F N Souza, S H Raza, K K Hebbar, K G Subramanyan, K C S Panniker, N S bendre, Tyeb Mehta, Somnath Hore, J Swaminathan, Jeram Patel, A Ramachandran, Ramkumar, Gulammohammad Shiek, Bhupen Khakhar and S Nandagopal.
The first hall showcased some of the extraordinary works of M V Devan. Exhibited along with the classy illustrations from prominent novellas of famous writers like Uroob, was the portrait of C K S Panniker by Devan. The portrait was a tribute by Devan to his guru C K S Panniker. The strength of his lines and their ability to express human emotions transformed the conventional idea of illustration.
The subsequent halls displayed the works of both old and new generation artists. While the works of famous artist Namboothiri reflected common man’s life, Murali Cheeroth’s painting of a fish, blended digital imaging along with the craft of conventional painting.
Apart from the paintings, sculptures of Radha Krishnan K S, Anila Jocob, Soman K P, Rimson N N, V K Jayan, Dhanraj Bhagat were also displayed.