KOCHI: Among many of his art creations, one that Kochi-based artist Hariprasad R perhaps cherishes the most is a mural of an old man he painted close to the Mattancherry boat jetty over three years ago. “Back then, I was working for a programme initiated by the Kochi Biennale called ‘Art by children’. A friend of mine informed me about an opportunity for wall art when I was on the lookout for something similar. When I visited the site, an old man barred me from working.
He said he was the caretaker of the place and wouldn’t allow it. I knew he was not an official in charge but just to get his consent, I said I would paint him so he agreed. I worked the mural overnight and when he saw it in the morning, he was overwhelmed by its larger-than-life scale. He found himself alive in that piece. He was living near the jetty for the past 15 years but was finally recognised,” recalls the artist.
Notwithstanding the moving anecdote, the mural encompasses the two mainstays of Hariprasad’s practice. One, his exceptional proficiency in portraiture and the other, his commitment to art as public service. A trained artist with a master’s degree in fine arts, Hariprasad is well versed with the exclusive nature of the contemporary art world, something he strives to actively resist.
“For me, public art is more pertinent than gallery practice. Galleries are often elitist spaces which are not accessible to the common people. The ‘white cube’ of the gallery alienates a majority of the public but art should be available to everyone. I am influenced by street artists like Banksy and want to incorporate a more egalitarian approach in what I create. There should be a healthy balance,” says the Kottayam native. His preoccupation with public art projects aside, Hariprasad is also an educator, introducing creative exercises to young kids. For the past few years, he has been coordinating a yearly workshop for tribal children in districts across Kerala.
With paintings of Raja Ravi Varma as his earliest influences, it is hardly a surprise that Hariprasad’s forte lies in figurative paintings. Another reason is the strong emphasis on perfecting portraits at his alma mater during his bachelor’s study. Hariprasad’s portraits which are inked in dark, ambient tones are often close renderings of his subjects’ faces. Looking at the painting, the viewer comes face-to-face with the subject, almost gazing at the forlorn eyes in the artwork made to scale.
“Creating a portrait is an intimate experience. It is like a dialogue between the painter and the muse. Many times, I paint live. While I was focused on aesthetics initially, the political discourse I was introduced to during master’s made me rethink and pivot to underlying symbolism and themes,” says the 34-year-old who currently teaches in an architecture college. Hoping to work on more public art projects, Hariprasad is also working towards exhibiting his digital portraits.
Find Hariprasad on Instagram @ha_r__i___