KOCHI: An arresting collection of charcoal sketches that tend to tug at your emotions and sensibilities by noted artist B D Dethan is set to be exhibited in Thiruvananthapuram. Titled ‘Faces’, the set of paintings depict the artist’s disillusionment with the society and will have on display a multitude of faces, each portraying a wide canvas of emotions. Created two decades ago, the paintings in varying shades of grey are still hugely relevant on social contexts and encompass within each a labyrinth of stories and politics.
“You can find the echoes of present state of affairs in these paintings. I had done a series titled Kali prior to starting my work on Faces in 1998. Reflection from that series can be found in this set of paintings,” said B D Dethan. The paintings also represent the artist’s struggle and crusade against various social inequalities and atrocities that has permeated to our present social scenario.
The artist had crafted a mammoth collection of 700 paintings in the Faces series earlier, a few of which were exhibited. The present exhibition encompasses a set of 120 paintings. The artist was profoundly affected by the recent incident when Madhu, a tribal youth from Attapady, was lynched by a mob. The incident left a deep imprint on Dethan’s mind and served as one of the reasons for holding the exhibition. “These pictures will not evoke happiness in a viewer.
It will only make him uncomfortable. The paintings may be the result of the shocking and chilling incidents that we go through in present-day,” notes the artist.Writer Perumbadavom Sreedharan will inaugurate the exhibition.
The gallery hours are from 11 am to 6 pm daily and will be held at the Suryakanti art gallery at Sasthamangalam from April 5 to April 25.