KOCHI: Soorya G K’s digital artworks are full of old-world charm. In one of the frames, two women in bright sarees with flowers on their hair are having a tete-a-tete on the roadside. They are in their own world, inside Vincent Van Gogh’s famous painting Green Field. In another work, beloved Malayalam actor Mammootty is standing casually beside Van Gogh’s Cafe Terrace At Night. The actor is wearing a dhoti and shirt and sunglasses, seamlessly blending with the starry night and the Parisian cafe. Once Surya’s creativity interferes, the lives from Kerala’s village have no trouble fitting into the bright backgrounds created by the Dutch impressionist painter.
“All the original artworks are from the lives around me — an old photograph, a beautiful frame from a movie or a person close to me. I always loved classical paintings, especially Van Gogh’s and Monet’s too. And I select the background based on my intuition. If my original work reminds me of sunlight or summer, I choose a peasant background with warm, bright colours,” says Soorya. The idea to make a fusion series struck her a couple of months ago when she was struggling with mental health.
For Soorya, art is an escape. A brief respite from the real and turbulent world around her. “The urge to make art comes in many ways. Like when something triggers me or when I am happy or peaceful. When inspiration strikes, I have to draw,” says the young artist.
Soorya used to draw with her father since she was a kid. But her parents’ untimely death upended her world, and art was her green pasture. “I didn’t know how to connect with people or how to interact normally. So, I took up drawing. I could spend hours immersed in it without thinking about anything else,” says the 23-year-old. It was during her graduation that Soorya decided to take up art seriously. The English literature student from Palakkad started making acrylic and watercolour paintings and wall art for her college and took up commission works. Now, Soorya works as a full-time artist.
“I have never studied art professionally. I am scared to, actually. What if it influences my style. All my works and paintings are done using techniques I developed myself. I never even keep references. It might not be the correct way, but it’s completely mine,” says Soorya.