KOCHI: Around 70 Thanjavur paintings, adorned in shiny gold foil with intricate designs and precious stones, line the walls of Durbar Hall art gallery, which is hosting the Thanjavur Art Exhibition and Workshop. South Zone Cultural Centre in Thanjavur and Kerala Lalithakala Akademi is conducting the workshop. It features works of artists Bharani Elangovan, Bharathi Senthilvelan, Vasudevan Annamalai, K Elangovan and A Moorthi.
“Traditional paintings of Thanjavur, the capital of the Chola empire, flourished during their period. These works, whose subjects are mainly Hindu deities, are found in almost all the temples of Tamil Nadu. But nowadays, we get orders to do portraits of people who passed away,” says Vasudevan, who has been in the field for 25 years.
He explains that the paintings go through a series of seven steps. “We use waterproof plywood for best results and longevity. After coating and recoating it with a mixture of glue and chalk powder, we smoothen it manually using an emery sheet. We trace the picture instead of drawing by hand. We then stick
Rajasthani gems or American diamond stones. The intricate designs are made using a mix of Arabic gum and chalk powder filled in a holder like a mehendi cone. Following that, we stick the gold foil. Painting and framing are the final steps,” he says. He adds that it takes at least 15 days to complete a painting.
“People are now becoming more aware of traditional arts. They are happy and proud to buy and display these artworks that have layers of history,” says Vasudevan. “There are also people interested in learning this traditional form of art. I have taught around 700-800 students.”
Bharani, who has put up several of her works, says she hails from a family of artists. “From a young age, I have been interested in craftwork, and I have been doing Thanjavur paintings for eight years,” she smiles.