KOCHI: For artist K P Thomas pandemic times were a desolate period. Along with the world, he felt that intense claustrophobia of being confined to home. And he filled his days etching his and the world’s trauma that he keenly felt into art.
Thus was born ‘Existence in Pandemic Times’, a series of six artworks exploring how a microscopic being transformed our lives and psyche.
“I created these works as a way to capture the emotions, trauma, and difficulties I experienced during that time. The paintings were intended to represent my ardent desire to overcome, break free and liberate myself from these repressive feelings,” says Thomas.
His mixed media paintings offer a unique perspective on the pandemic’s impact. The trauma and the devastation are explicit in the paintings, illustrating the various ways the virus touched our lives — like a snapshot of life during this unprecedented time.
“I used a variety of materials in these works, from pieces of magazines to create the canvas and colour pens, pastels to paints. I always use materials that I think would complete my ideas. I don’t like to stick to one particular medium,” he adds.
Before becoming a full-time artist, in his younger days, Thomas worked as a school teacher in Bhutan for a short while, worked at several parallel colleges, and when money became an issue, due to the insistence from family, he went into banking.
However, even while working as a cashier in a bank, his heart was on art. His small cashier’s cabin became his little studio and used whatever materials were at his disposal to unleash his creativity. From discarded envelopes to dot matrix prints, receipts, and papers, he utilised anything and everything for his art.
“I used to sketch what I observed from my cabin and everyday life and used discarded envelopes and printouts as my canvas. I refrained from altering or removing anything from these papers and rather incorporated their existing stamps, writings, and prints into my work to add a perspective. During those times, I used ordinary pens and pencils to finish them rather than expensive paints.”
His paintings on recycled trash cover a wide range of subjects, from everyday activities to social issues.
“These paintings juxtapose the human on the canvas with the animal world. One is never more prominent than the other. And that is how we should exist,” he explains.
“I’m also very interested in giving double faces to my characters. I believe we all have faces hidden inside us. We show only the one we choose to show,” he adds.
The exhibit also features a series of artwork that depicts the world of women, filled with thorns and a myriad of struggles. Created on a black canvas, using Indian ink and white pens, his paintings like Thirst, Temptation, Meditation, Solitude, Journey, etc, celebrate independence. The ever-elusive freedom, happiness and satisfaction of living peacefully without being confined or chained to any restrictions.
“These works are not erotic, instead they just try to show the happiness of a woman who knows she is free to make choices. Be it as mundane as selecting her dress for the day.
Thirst represents her drive to achieve dreams, passion and self-growth,” he says. He also showcases various social issues through his art. Madonna of Shaheen Bagh, The Girl From Kathua and Nun in Anguish viscerally represent recent incidents that have created a dent in our social fabric.
Born and brought up in Mananthavady, his works also reflect tribal lives and the agony of the people. ‘Adiyappadikal’, another series of Thomas, directly communicates about the tribal life, the pain and anguish they face in the name of deforestation and development.
His works are being exhibited at solo show ‘Existence in Pandemic Times’ at Nirvana Art Collective in Kochi.