THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a long break due to the pandemic outbreak, veteran artists George Fernandez and Raveendran Puthoor were excited to start their new exhibition at the Museum Art Gallery. The artists, who have more than three decades of experience in the art world, participated in a public exhibition after two years. Their exhibition titled Rhythm of Space was a compilation of 35 contemporary paintings.
Almost all the works displayed were created during the lockdown days when the artists were confined to their houses. According to George, the exhibition was a self-inspiration to perform more. The owner of Flora Art Gallery in Ottukuzhy said the exhibition was a move to expand the reach to the public.
“When we had to close down the gallery and institute due to pandemic restrictions, we decided to utilise that time to explore art. It is for the first time that we are exploring contemporary art in a group exhibition. Artists were severely affected by the pandemic exhibitions and art events were cancelled. Rhythm of Space was an attempt to motivate more artists to explore their creative sides,” said George.
Through his works, George has explored his love for colours and their textures. Although the exhibition concluded at Museum Art Gallery, the paintings will be on display for one month at the Flora Art Gallery and later in various art galleries in Kochi and Trissur, said George.
At a glance, it may feel as the colours are splashed into the white canvas. But if one takes a deep look, beautiful shades and textures become visible. It was an effort of trial and error says, George. “I am trying my hand on contemporary art especially the knife art. Though it may look simple, it is very challenging to perform as it takes two or more days to complete one piece. If anything goes wrong in the dabbing of brush and knife works, then we have to start again. For me these paintings are a dance of colours on canvas and the shades are painted rhythmically. The colours black and red denotes rage. I have explored mysticism on canvas with colours,” he said.
Apart from the abstract and contemporary shades, George has also exhibited some patterns inspired from his craftworks. “The paintings displayed in shiny textures of gold, bronze and silver were the outcome of my love towards inscription art. I found them from Mohenjo Daro and Harappa civilizations inscriptions,” he said.
Raveendran Puthoor, who is an art teacher with years of experience in teaching, says his total of six works on display is an exploration of space with colours. “With my paintings, I have tried to communicate the theory of art which is the symmetry of colours and space. Being a teacher I wish my paintings give a sense of colour and the right way of using space in their canvases,” he says.