KOCHI: For Anujath Sindhu Vinaylal, 16, everything around him has an artistic value. Every little thing is a muse, and they become a part of his canvas. Anujath’s frames are filled with mundane lives and moments. A cat licking its paws, a dog chasing his tails, a fruit-seller in his town, a broom hawker who once came to his house, flowers on his late mother’s nightie... they have all been part of his artistic journey.
“We all miss many little things in our everyday life,” says the Thrissur-based artist. “I love observing them. I always take a picture when I find something interesting. I draw these images using the photo as reference, or from my memory.”
One of Anujath’s drawings from the series ‘Lines From Life’ portrays Raju Puthur from Tamil Nadu. Raju travels from home to home selling household items such as brooms and buckets. “All the items are mounted on his two-wheeler. It defies gravity, how he manages to stack everything in that little space. It’s a little mountain on his vehicle,” recalls Anujath. “I immediately clicked his picture.”
It is one of the 70 drawings displayed at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi at his solo exhibition titled ‘Around Me A World of Wonders’. The exhibition is dedicated to his mother Sindhu, who died of a heart ailment two years ago. Some drawings date back to 2015. The XI student says almost every evening he draws something. “Except during exam times,” he smiles.
Through his sketches, Anujath takes us to his ration store and the Indian Coffee House he used to frequent. “This is my favourite,” he points to a drawing of jackfruits stacked on the floor. Anujath is planning to pursue fine arts after Class XII. “I’m just a beginner in the art world. There’s a lot to learn,” he says.
He wants his solo exhibition to inspire youngsters to draw fearlessly. “Most children worry about what to draw. Many always draw the subjects suggested in class. A market, sea, bus-stand, garden, etc. However, the world around us is full of wonders. The cat, the flower, the fruit vendor on the road... they all have something interesting to communicate,” says Anujath.
The artist, who rose to fame with his work ‘My Mother And Mothers in the Neighborhood’ (used as cover for Kerala Budget), will travel to Kozhikode soon to exhibit his drawings there, from May 22 to 27. From there, he would head to Thiruvananthapuram, where his works would be exhibited from June 4 to 10.