There is something fiery about artist Chandrasekaran Gurusamy’s pencil sketches at DakshinaChitra’s Varija Gallery. Rivers of gazes, deconstructed bodies, faceless gods, portraits devoid of the oculus — in essence, spill over from the frame, lending the gallery fires of the artist’s subversion and dissent.
Art – Politics is an exhibit featuring Chandrasekaran’s works that are premised on local, mythological and political contexts. “My works are reflective of my personal experiences and their relation with the world,” says Chandrasekaran. Critical of the effects of globalisation and liberalism, the artist aims to dismantle the hierarchies of caste and erase the long lasting abrasions of colonialism through his body of work.
Curated by V Saranraj, the exhibition features a panorama of sketches. Chandrasekaran’s art is rooted in a vast canvas – some respond to the lost traditions of Tamil Nadu, the artist’s experiments with the androgynous body form, likenesses of eminent persons like Abraham Lincoln, Queen Victoria, sketches of Greek gods and scenes from Roman mythology.
Admiring a portrait at the gallery is R Zufiya, a second year textile designer from the Government College of Fine Arts. She says, “The artist was one of our former principals. Sometimes he would read an article or hear a piece of news and draw a sketch spontaneously. What I love about his work is his simplicity.”
An abiding thread that underlines the works on display is the integration of local, regional and global political and mythological contexts that blend seamlessly with modern and post modern styles.
Art–Politics is being held at Varija Gallery, DakshinaChitra Museum, Muttukadu from 10am - 6pm (closed on Tuesday) till August 27 .
