THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fort Kochi, in all its grandeur, is a rustic relic of a proud colonial era. The sun-kissed streets teeming with age-old churches, synagogues, run-down electric posts and cycles put on a murkier mask in the dusk. The dull yellow of the street-light gives those rickety buildings a sepia-tint in the night. Come dawn, the box-like structures come alive in rich shades of blues, browns and yellows. For Sara Hussain, these resplendent scenes of this heritage town are a part of her everyday life. In a studio set up in an antique dwelling, specially to capture the hues of Fort Kochi, this full-time artist has been wielding her palette knife for the past 14 years. Sara’s exhibition of paintings ‘Raag’ being held at Alliance Française de Trivandrum brings back the erstwhile Portuguese era in her life-like portrayals of Fort Kochi.
Sara restricts her painting techniques to knife. But the beguiling world she creates with eclectic layers, textures and contours are beyond what words can convey. The old-world charm of Fort Kochi , hence, does not get lost in her translation. Rather, the intrinsic lethargy of the town picks up a new pace and spirit in her versions.
“Everyday I cross paths with these old buildings, cycles and the tangled electric wires hanging low from the dilapidated electric posts while I meander to my studio. So I cannot help but recreate those visuals on a canvas. I omit the trees and unappealing colours from my work and give my own interpretations to them,” says Sara.
It is not the rich emerald of trees or the soothing blue of ocean that pique Sara’s intrigue. But the tanned shades of antique buildings that blends in with the pale white of Fort Kochi. It is the clutter made by the dingy yet alluring structures, the multi-coloured boats, the narrow footpaths and the striking light that falls on them are what find place in Sara’s paintings. The ant-like humans are ignorable nuances in her frames.
Beneath the unkempt red-tiled roofs lie obsolete wooden carts and bicycles for ages. And she makes it a point to bring them onto her oeuvres. The Chinese fishing nets that seem to cordon this small coastal town also make seldom visits in her works.
“I don’t follow any ‘isms’. I believe I am a realistic painter. I paint what I see. My knowledge in world art is limited. However, my biggest inspiration is 19th century French painter Édouard Manet,” says Sara. This full-time artist, who has invested her days and nights chronicling the deepest secrets of Fort Kochi, says being a woman in the formidable world of art never stopped her from excelling in her craft.
“I feel being a woman has helped me a lot. People appreciate my work more than my male contemporaries. It is an advantage I feel. And my family is immensely supportive of my choice of work. I am blessed that way,” says Sara.
Sara who has a diploma in Multimedia animation and a Fine Arts degree is currently doing her MFA. The exhibition inaugurated by Culture Minister KC Joseph on Wednesday will conclude on November 29.