KOCHI: Born and brought up in an agrarian family in the outskirts of Sasthamcotta in Kollam district, young sculptor Maneesh Bhaskaran always tried to find the binding force between humans and nature. His recent series named Tera Sapiens comprises a collection of around 20 sculptures made mostly using the terracotta medium. Though he had showcased his exhibits in other group shows, Maneesh is thrilled he could conduct his solo exhibition in the capital city.
Tera Sapiens is Maneesh’s conversation about instances that inspired his life as a sculptor. The youngster, who owns a BFA from Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikkara, has carved out wood figures, steel installations and terracotta and ceramic mixed art pieces to define his ideologies. Some of his intriguing works include a laid-down structure of human vertebra titled ‘Sleeping’ and terracotta blocks laid out like a modern house named ‘Space’ that reflects his outlook on urban culture and human’s lifestyle.
His other sculptures are interactions and reflections of his experiences growing up in a rural village. The red terracotta figure of a mud house surrounded by rice grains points towards Maneesh’s dreams of achieving success as an artist while standing firmly on his agrarian roots. While he affirms his artworks are open to viewers interpretations, he also puts out his original explanations. “The piece titled ‘Expectations’ are my dreams. The rice grains showcase nativity. These were harvested from our paddy field in Kollam. It gives out the message that no matter how much we run behind our dreams, we should not forget our roots. Another art piece made using steel, named ‘Plough’ is also my take on agriculture. Steel is a difficult medium to work with. The steel plough tool showcases the beauty of hard work,” explains the artist. Displays titled ‘Self Destruction’ and ‘Serpentine’ are also a reflection of his cultural vignettes.
Apart from nature and culture, Maneesh also depicts socio-political aspects in his figures.The discrimination he faced and witnessed also became the subject of his art. Women-centric topics including mensuration are beautifully depicted by the artist through ‘Pain of a flower’. He compares the vagina of a woman to a flower. “The womb of a woman is like a flower which gives birth to new life. I used manjadikuru and kunnikuru as metaphors for a bleeding vagina. It is also a token of love towards womanhood,” he says.
His love affair with steel is visible in his work ‘Boomerang’. It also comes with a message regarding the need to save mother nature. A steel fishtail is connected to a scrap grinder base, to depict the significance of recycling. “There was a small stream near my house in Kollam polluted by rampant industrialisation. To save that small stream, I am planning to erect an illustration where the steel fish tale will be filled with the plastic wastes collected from the stream. I believe nature is like a boomerang, it brings us what we give it. The steel structure is a small replica of my outsize structure yet to be built,” adds Maneesh who works as a school teacher in Kollam.
The exhibition is held at Vylopilli Samskrithi Bhavan