Art Review: Identities by Yugandara Muthukrishnan
Yugandhara Muthukrishnan, a talented young 24 year old artist, revealed her identity to the world in a signature exhibition titled ‘Identities’. (Held at the Lalit Kala academy in Chennai, India from the 5th to 10th November 2013.)
Who is Yugandhara Muthukrishnan?
Being a chennaite, Muthukrishnan did a degree in fine arts at Stella Maris College. Thereafter she felt equipped with the knowledge of the basics and decided to develop from it. She later got involved in digital film making and pursued a masters degree in film direction at the L.V. Prasad Film and TV Academy.
Having been a student and professional painter for six years, she likes to experiment with different styles in art. She believes that a style is something that evolves with time and is recognized by the public before the artists themselves.
Her debut exhibition “Identities” focused more on a concept and theme rather than a style or technique of art. The walls were adorned with acrylics on canvas filled with painting of the Gana statues, in opulent colors of gold, copper to earthy ones of browns and ochers, with splashes of vibrant colors in some paintings.
These paintings strangely reminded its viewers of the tiny mud sculptures and the earthen structures that are often sold in handicraft markets.
The painting took four long years to complete!
More than the actual drawing, the research behind it seemed tedious. The whole concept of the show and the message to be spread was to bring to light the sculptures and to the magnificence of the architecture seen around in the temples.
As a child to typical south Indian parents, she was dragged along to every possible temple the family could visit. She has been inclined towards art her whole life, so these simple “kutti Gana” statues grabbed her attention, because she did not know why they were there, and what they were doing.
Indian folk art
In a way Muthukrishnan’s exhibition had a strong message that Indian architecture and art are often underestimated and misunderstood. This may be because the religion is still in practice, and people generally do not notice the effort and the creativity behind contemporary religions’ artworks. While the Egyptian religion is not in practice anymore, for example, its art and architecture are considered to be amazing.
The plausible explanation for the depreciation for the Indian folk art could be that from childhood, Indians were bombarded with quite complex art forms of Madhubhani, Mithila, Tanjore and the mural painting. Therefore they unknowingly go in search of a simplicity that is found in modern western art when they are older.
Muthukrishnan took the key elements of the folk art and simplified it in a more appealing way, trying to fuse the tradition with modern. The intricate details in a traditional folk art might often make us miss the whole concept and seldom appreciate it. With the simple mediums of oil pastels and acrylics, Muthukrishnan brought to light the beauty of Indian art.
Digital vs painting
When asked as to why she chose painting as a medium rather than the digital medium (considering she was well acquainted with both), she replied that if she wanted to tell a story she would have preferred the digital medium. However, when introducing or reminding people of a concept she chooses painting.
The best part of this medium is that the viewer can perceive it completely differently than herself; it might remind and mean something unique and beautiful to the viewer alone. This is the greatest quality of a painting.
Originally published on The Typewriter
