6 February 2023
THE TREASURY OF TRANQUILITY
DRAVIDAM BANGALORE presents THE TREASURY OF TRANQUILITY – an exhibition of art works of renowned artist SURESH PUSHPANGATHAN at Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Gate 2, Lodhi Road, New Delhi from 10 February 2023 to 13 February 2023.
“I feel a certain rhythm in nature when I try to observe it. It has its own diverse moods that are reflected in the form of vibrations.
And this is exactly what I try to capture in my work”, says artist Suresh Pushpangathan who can best be described as a nature lover.
His artwork is a perfect interplay of light and colour.
A childhood exposure to nature led Suresh to start painting at an early stage, eventually committing to his creativity when he enrolled at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore, graduating in 2002.
In 2011, he completed a Master’s degree in Art & Design from the University of Bedfordshire, Luton, United Kingdom.
Art aficionado and curator Akumal Ramachander, the man who stunned the art world with his discovery of American abstract expressionist Harold Shapinsky, met Suresh Pushpangathan early in his career. Under Akumal’s mentorship, Suresh blossomed and has over the years, continued to grow as an artist of recognizable talent.
“I think Suresh’s works are wonderful abstracts of nature. He is more of a colourist than a draughtsman. He enjoys the paint more than the line and structure itself. He has the fine knack of creating the ambience of nature by delineating light,” remarks Golak Khandual, renowned Artist, architect and environmentalist.
“The son of a traditional sculptor, Suresh grew up watching his father at work and, it is at his feet that the young boy sat whittling away at pieces of wood. This was his introduction to the fascinating world of art. His early childhood was spent wandering in the lush tropical countryside of Varkala in Kerala, an area speckled with backwater reflections, serene lily ponds and enchanting seascapes. It had a lasting impact on his work as an artist and this is a memory that he constantly revisits in his haunting work so relevant in a world of fast disappearing flora and fauna,” says Curator Jaya Mani.
“His inborn talent, a childhood spent in rural Kerala and later-day training as an art student are reflected in his sensitive work. Deft brushstrokes in thick and thin paints, smooth blends, the interplay of light and the ability to convey perspective, mystery and texture is a reflection of Pushpangathan’s creativity and skill as an artist for whom memories feed his visuals. Some of the canvases bring the viewer right to the edge of a pond while others look across the leafy expanse of water to the other bank presenting the aquatic fauna amid a play of rich colour and texture with vivid impact. Clearly apparent in his evocative work is the influence of the Impressionists and the Post Impressionists particularly Claude Monet. Suresh often adopts a middle path between representation and abstraction and his visuals are free from the confines of strict realism. To him the palette and application are as important as the subject matter and integral to the effective expression of an emotion.”
“Suresh Pushpangathan’s latest body of work, ‘The Treasury of Tranquility’ echoes the serenity and harmony of a childhood spent in the lap of nature. Days spent splashing amidst lotuses in water bodies, watching colourful birds, butterflies and dragonflies, the pristine beauty of coffee plantations during flowering season and lush groves are clearly some of the memories that the artist wistfully captures in the tranquil images that he transfers onto canvas,” says Curator Jaya Mani.
“Suresh’s three dimensional paintings are an immersive theatrical experience where the viewer cannot help but almost merge into the artist’s pictorial space,” Curator Jaya Mani says.
