Narendraraghunath

Urban realities - The Hindu

The Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat is holding a group exhibition of Surendra Karthyayan, an artist from Trivandrum and Narendra Raghunath, an artist from Calicut but based in Ahmedabad. The exhibition is on till 15 May.

The exhibition revolves around the idea of the urban landscape and makes extra sense for the chaos that Bangalore has come to be. Some of the paintings try to capture the pandemonium of the city we live in while others subtly celebrate the dancing lights strewn over the fluid carpet of the river or the hatched lines made by the vertical, horizontal as well as curvilinear growth of the expanding city. Rivers which are an integral part of a city and a civilization, encapsulate and balance the aggressive and harsh realities of living the ‘urban dream'.

His work is inspired from art and science. Lines in Indian art, be it folk art, murals, kalamkari paintings or others — are very important. As he delved deeper into this conceptual framework, he realised that “lines are omnipresent and can integrate a dichotomy of ideas. When applied to a city, like Bangalore for instance, it implies that Bangalore can accept or reject migrants, create a melting pot of diversity or expulse the unwanted, it can give its people freedom or can snatch it away… This is what I have tried to communicate through my paintings,” explains Narendra. “Story books and illustrative magazines were the early art forms that I was exposed to and they had a catalytic effect on me. I delved deeper into art,” says Narendra. Faculty of Arts and Humanities, CEPT University (Ahmedabad), he believes that there is no end to learning and no right age to start reinventing oneself. In 2002, he finally turned a page and became a full time artist.Since then there has been no looking back.

Those interested can visit the gallery between 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on all days. Call: 09427012724, 09746444512.

SUCHITA MUNDHRA

LISSA CHAZOT

Photograph by GOPINATHAN K. , Chief photographer The Hindu

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