Ramani Mylavarapu's 'Voices of the Waves' showcases fisherfolk through mixed media art
A boat made of gauze catches the eye, the piece de resistance of Voices of the Waves: Tales of Fisherfolk, a solo show by Ramani Mylavarapu held at Chitramayee State Art Gallery, Hyderabad. Five feet long and three feet high, it is the leitmotif for the whole show that portrays fishermen; pastiches of daily life, the joys and travails of farming the ocean. A fishnet hangs from a boat. A collage of photographs in the shape of a fish. Scattered on the floor and around the boat are figurines of fish, and shells and sea sand from the Uppada beach in Andhra Pradesh.
In the backdrop of the installation is an acrylic painting of a sunrise. “This show is essentially a recollection of childhood memories; of making paper boats and leaving them in puddles made by the rain,” says Hyderabad-based Ramani, who has incorporated painting, craft, photography, dance, poetry and documentary filmmaking in her show. “From the birth of the concept to the opening of the show, it took me a year and 10 trips to Kakinada. I visited all the nearby beach areas,” she recalls.
The show is meant to be a moveable feast of visuals and colour. The exhibition has the artist staging a performance on a sari-covered floor; the saris are in different shades of blue, signifying the sea. She moves her hands to simulate the waves and walks to and fro carrying an oar, recreating the motion of a boat on a tide. Then she reads out her poem on the difficult lives of fishermen.
“I wanted to give expression to both the beauty and trials of their lives in words,” says the artist. In her childhood, Ramani would watch sunrises and sunsets at Uppada beach, the time fishermen went to sea and returned with their daily catch. “The scenes are etched in my memory. I returned to them for inspiration,” adds the artist.
The walls of the gallery are adorned with various photo performance works depicting different ocean related activities such as flinging a fishing net into the waves, a fishing net being repaired, fish markets and more. Art by drone, a new innovation Indian artists are yet to catch up, gives an edgy touch to Voices of the Waves: Tales of Fisherfolk.
“I’ve captured a bird’s eye view of beaches and water and installations I had put up on beaches. I intended for the fisher folk to participate in the performance,” says the artist, who had worked with the indigenous tribes of Araku Valley. “I like engaging with communities and bringing their lived experiences to the fore,” Ramani reveals. Using sea metaphors, she has found a niche to make waves with her show.