Masterful strokes

Works of 20 artists were on display at ‘Circle of Reason’, an annual painting exhibition organised at Suryakanti Art Gallery in Sasthamangalam.

KOCHI:  Works of 20 artists were on display at ‘Circle of Reason’, an annual painting exhibition organised at Suryakanti Art Gallery in Sasthamangalam. Kattoor Narayana Pillai, Pradeep Puthoor, Pushkin E H, Tensing Joseph, Deepthi P Vasu and Bini Roy are some of the artists showcasing their works. An image of a burning cycle is one of the works by Pushkin E H on feature. “I have shown the cycle as a symbol of violence. It is being engorged in flames and the viewer is uncertain whether it has a rider or not”, Pushkin said. His other work presented a fish observing its marine habitat. 

 Pics | B P Deepu

Another work that captured the viewers is the selfie series by Deepthi P Vasu. The series is the artist’s maiden attempt at forging a self-portrait. The main idea that Deepthi tried to convey was how creatures such as squirrels and cats that are a part of the universe and co-exist with humans. “The squirrel and cat depicted in the painting are real. I used to have a squirrel in my residence in Kochi. It resided in the roof of my house and was a part of my life at that time,” said Deepthi. 

The ‘Green Complex’ and ‘Brown Complex’ by senior artist Kattoor N Pillai are other noteworthy mentions. “I used transparent colours,” said Kattoor. Fragments of human body parts are visible in both of his works. But the Brown Complex presents these mutilated parts more abstractly. “The effect of disasters such as floods on nature is depicted in the work ‘Green Complex’ while the unknown causes behind the origin of these disasters is the focus of my second work”, the 73-year-old artist said.

Kattoor was prompted to create these paintings in the aftermath of the deluge of last year. The show is also the 65th exhibition of the former Lalit Kala Akademi chairman. Concentrating more on the aesthetic aspects of art, Bini Roy’s works show the blooming of the Nishagandhi (Bethlehem Lily). Titled ‘Bloom 1’ and ‘Bloom 2’, the two paintings are a celebration of colours. “When we look at a Nishagandhi flower closely, we can see a lot of colours in it,” said Biny Roy.