By 30 artists from the country takes over Lalit Kala Akademi
A display of Dalit art and aesthetics
hat is the month of April synonymous with apart from the scorching summer? Resistance.
For the last three years, Pa Ranjith’s Neelam Cultural Centre has honoured the birth month of BR Ambedkar with unbridled celebration. The month-long
WVaanam Art Festival includes talks, panel discussions, art exhibits, performances and lm screenings that champion the cause of Dalit resistance and social justice. This year, the walls of Lalit Kala Akademi showcase the works of 30 artists in an exhibition titled Curve, as we approach the end of the festival.
“We as artists have been continuously working on an art camp with a focus on Dalit atrocities, and environmental issues that we have been hearing of late. For the last three years, Neelam joined hands with us to bring Dalit art and aesthetics to the mainstream,” says artist Nataraj K, curator of the show.
“Our politics is centered around marginalised communities and the adversities they face. The artists whose works will be on display, though not necessarily from the margins, share the same politics. That was the only requirement when the works were curated,” adds Nataraj.
Multiple works of all 30 artists will take over the gallery — both senior and
◣ upcoming artists from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry and Maharashtra are showcasing their work through dierent mediums including paintings, sculptures, and even podcasts.
“This year, we are also felicitating senior artist Chandrasekaran Gurusamy with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Over 50 drawings and sketches of his from the 1980s and 1990s are a highlight of the display,” adds Nataraj. A veteran sculptor who hails from Ambasamudram, Tirunelveli, he has constructed an open-air art museum on the banks of river Thamirabarani. He has researched, catalogued and erected over 600 sculptures of scholars who have dedicated their life and work to humanity, and Tamil arts and culture.
Each artist displays two to three works each, and the underlying thread is their politics and ideologies. And so, artworks that speak about the aesthetics of sustainable living and of living in harmony with Nature will be on display, along with those that speak about compassion in Buddhism and the temperance it oers.
“We think it is our responsibility to educate upcoming talent about what we intend to convey, and so age was never a criterion for this curation,” says Nataraj. Works of senior artists like Maria Anthony Raj from Cholamandal Artists’ Village and Purushothaman T will be on display, apart from known names like B Venkatesan, Anthoni Guruz D, Puviyarasu Kannadasan, and V Selvakumar among others.
Curve will be on display at Lalit Kala Akademi, Greams Road, Egmore until April 30.