
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “Art is what makes life bearable.” These words by Friedrich Nietzsche guide the veteran artist George R from Thiruvananthapuram who believes in the deep connection between art and life.
A lover of both science and literature, George explores human connections through his paintings.
Now, he is back with his latest collection, ‘Touch’ , a series born from the idea that touch is the essence of life, the language of survival, and the force that connects beings and to themselves.
“During the pandemic period, I was stuck at home without enough materials to work on my paintings. That time I used to think about humans and what it means to live without sensory experiences. Throughout history, our survival has always depended on direct connections and relationships. To me, this is something essential for us, and Covid stripped that away completely. People couldn’t meet, touch, or interact directly. When I finally got materials again, these thoughts naturally began to take shape in my work,” says George.
“These paintings are an attempt to confront the invisible threat posed by the disappearance of touch in modern times, whether due to disease or the boundaries imposed by culture.”
The exhibition at Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan showcases 34 oil paintings by George, completed over four years. He transformed each blank canvas into a blend of colours, dark and light, which, according to him, are meant to evoke an experience rather than convey an understanding.
“I see this as experiential art, and here, the colours are the mediums I have used to communicate the idea of ‘touch.’”
The 71-year-old George, a former BSNL employee, has participated in several group and solo exhibitions across the state. Touch marks his 18th solo exhibition. He has also published six anthologies of poems.
Talking about his themes, he reflects on how the value he places on human connection is expressed throughout his series of paintings.
“One important aspect of my approach to art revolves around how we, as living beings, perceive reality and life, and how we connect. Maybe that’s the reason, through my paintings, I continue to explore and express the idea of connections. My previous solo exhibition, ‘Breath,’ was about how, despite the differences in humans, breath still remains the same, connecting us all something we all share, though not consciously,” he explains.
“When it comes to ‘connections of touch’ the idea goes beyond its physical form and becomes something deeper, an experience that cannot be easily captured or fully explained through words. It refers to the intangible ways in which touch affects us emotionally and mentally.”
The exhibition, open from 10 am to 6.30 pm, will conclude on Sunday.