KOCHI: ‘Yet Another Winter’, an exhibition curated by artist O Sunder at Durbar Hall Art Gallery,is a conversation of seasons. As many as 171 works by 41 artists are on display at the exhibition and they discuss lockdowns and the pandemic from different perspectives.
“Art thrives when people and society go through troubled times. It’s when there is conflict and tragedy that artists look deep into themselves. They are forced to confront the unwelcome reality. There is even a saying that pain inspires great work. That’s what is special about this exhibition,” says Sunder.
The works on display are a product of collective trauma and isolation, he adds. “Artists reach out with their pain, grief and hope. Many budding contemporary artists are part of the show,” he says.
“We are welcoming another winter now. Many seasons came and went since the pandemic started. And here’s the second winter under the shadow of the virus. But we are hopeful,” explains Sunder.
Young artists, including Babitha Rajiv, Biji Bhaskar, Jayesh K K, Mariam Jasmine, and Sithara K V are part of the exhibition. Babitha’s Lotus Pond is an intricate work with a series of small frames that she uses to depict the beauty of a lotus pond. Biji Bhasker’s series on two dogs, their conflicts and love, also comprises a series of frames that depict movement when put in perspective.
Mariam Jasmine’s paintings handle myriad topics and emotions. In one of them, she dreams of another plane, far away from earth filled with women who can fly. Women are frolicking outside flying from never-seen-before trees. “One of my paintings is that of a room at my home. It’s where many women in my family breathed their last. The space is significant to me,” she says.
Sithara K V’s paintings speak of nature-inspired by her village. “When I was living in the capital city, it was very difficult to adjust to city life away from greenery. After the second lockdown, I moved back to my familiar surroundings. That inspired me to come up with this series,” says Sithara.
Sasi K K’s ventured into a new style during the past year. His current style is similar to murals but made in watercolours.
“I wanted to explore many ways of creating art. From big canvases with acrylic and oil, I ventured into watercolour drawings. It is my way of depicting birth and hope,” Sasi says. His works are inspired by a world rich with the blessings of nature that follows the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi.
Jayesh K K’s work is a product of hard work. Jayesh is known for his works on wood. He carves his drawings on them and then copies them on to large canvases. “It’s incredibly hard to do so without making mistakes. However, the advantage is that I can recreate each of my paintings as the original wood work will always remain with me,” he says. The artist, who is famous for his depictions of Basheer’s stories, has displayed a work from one of his old collections — the Wild Cock.
Gigimol K Thomas’ watercolour studies art. Suryadas’s intricate drawings is where nature comes alive. The mighty hornbill on the frames by Varghese Kalathil and E N Santhi’s small paintings that contain vastness in them make the winter a pleasant prospect.