KOCHI: Walking into the gallery at Riverbourne Centre in Tripunithura, one would feel her heart quivering at the sleeve. Among all the heart-wrenching paintings, one could not help but get intrigued by this particular image. It is of a doll on wheels. He has a sword in one hand and a head in his other. A dog (or what looks like it) is lapping up the blood dripping from the sword. Not too behind is a headless woman following the man obediently. “This is an image of male domination. This reflects the degree to which Indian women have surrendered to the whims of the man,” says artist TA Satyapal. The veteran artist’s paintings are on display at the Riverbourne Centre till March 29.
This is Satyapal’s 17th solo exhibition. Consistently vocal about the socio-political issues of the world, the artist has used the images of dolls and birds in his exhibition titled ‘Pavakalum Paravakalum’ (Dolls and Birds). “They represent contemporary issues and human experiences,” he says.
The collection of paintings is a satire against the selfish point-of-view of this era. “Though we live in a democratic country, I have always felt we don’t control our decisions and choices. We are merely a nation of puppets controlled by the politicians and corporates,” says Satyapal.
This is where dolls on wheels come into the picture. But what about birds? “Wheels are said to be the major milestone of all times. That was the beginning of technological advancements. Now we see everything on wheels. With technology advancing even further and faster, humans as a species have become impatient. We have become selfish for the need for speed and efficiency. Our selfishness has gone to the point where we think even birds need wheels, not wings. This is the current generation’s hopes and expectations about growth,” says the artist.
Satyapal’s paintings are not like the works of contemporary artists. Focusing on the texture of the artworks, he makes carvings on the canvas before finishing the works using acrylic, oil and mixed media. “Have done this since 2000, this is my style of art,” says the artist.
Satyapal developed the style to create an artistic language for himself. “I am on a quest in search of a language that goes beyond the visual language. My focus is on simplifying the complicated subjects in life such as human anatomy,” he says. The organisers say the exhibition is likely to be extended till April 3.