KOCHI: Watching Cipin Angel’s maiden exhibition, titled ‘Meet My Imperfections’, one would be hard-pressed to believe that he has had no formal training in art. Such is the flair he displays in his control over line and shape. Through his series of pen-and-ink drawings, the artist expresses his struggle with lust and his efforts at overcoming it.
A graduate in English literature and presently an assistant director in films, drawing was a hobby with Cipin from his childhood. “Though I was interested in drawing from an early age, it wasn’t until recently, when my friends suggested that I should exhibit some of my work, that I gave some thought to it,” he mentions.
Cipin begins his series with a pamphlet describing, in the form of a story, the theme of his drawings, giving visitors a clearer idea of what follows.
The imagery throughout the series is a seamless blend of abstract patterns, which have their roots in the hippie art of the 1970s, and depictions of lust, ecstasy, loss and rebirth. The series draws its inspiration from several streams of thought, including Zen Buddhism, Mandalas and Tantrism.
Cipin, however, is not planning on a full-time career in art. His mind is set on making his first film, which is in the scripting stage, he says.