KOCHI: All of us were forced to sit at home when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Many artists who were travelling around the country and state lost several opportunities and were confined to their homes . However, for some, the lockdown was a chance to exhibit their creativity with what was feasible and available. Aryanad Rajendran, the artist who sculpted the famous statue of a mother breastfeeding her baby installed at the medical college campus here, used this time to create a series of miniatures and a few acrylic paintings.
Each of Rajendran’s sculptures is a realistic portrayal of human love, suffering, negligence, love and displacement during the pandemic. The sculptures are made using materials like clay, cement, wood, m-seal and waste materials. According to Rajendran, the sculptures are an abstract manifestation of the reactions to his social commitment. The most noted works from this series are Aikyam (Unity), Visappinte Vili (Call of hunger) and Madakkayathra (Return journey).
“Many people didn’t even have access to enough food during the lockdown. This is an universal issue. The first and foremost need of every creature, including humans is to overcome hunger. This is the inspiration behind Vishappinte Vili. Aikyam depicts the unity of humans in the face of the pandemic. Everyone worked together to fight it, irrespective of religion, caste and politics. Madakkayathra is a painful representation of migrant labourers returning to their hometowns due to the lockdown. I’ve done this as a vertical sculpture to imply an image of them attaining heights,” says Rajendran. Another frame is an endearing representation of the bond between two friends.
He did around 20 sculptures after the lockdown was declared in March. Earlier, he worked as an artist modeller at medical college and retired in 2007. Though his job was to draw body parts for academic purposes, he made around 20 sculptures while working at the medical college. “I was doing interior works for houses and sculptures for gardens after retirement. I was working till the lockdown was declared. Then, I started doing the small sculpture series to be active during this period.”
Though he faced shortage of raw materials after a month of lockdown, the relaxations helped him procure enough cement and m-seal. Currently, he’s doing a clay sculpture of a woman’s face. “It is difficult to sit idle. Being 67 years old, I can’t go out of my house much either,” he quips. “A team was here a few days back to shoot some videos on clay modelling tutorials. It will be on YouTube soon.”Rajendran plans to conduct an exhibition of his miniature sculptures once lives get back to normal. “People should see and understand my works. It is a reminder of our fight against the pandemic.”