Life sketches

Artist Rajkumar Sthabathy’s works are in tune with this saying. His exhibition ‘A Portrait of Emperors’ currently mounted at the Shrishti Art Gallery amply reflects the artist and craftsman in Rajkumar. For, he paints his portraits in water colours – a medium which requires enough mastery to paint in. And, Rajkumar undoubtedly displays his dexterity with the medium as he paints his ‘portraits’ almost effortlessly yet conveying a kaleidoscope of emotions. After all, he has been painting portraits for two decades!

The title of the exhibition may take a visitor by surprise or one may even think it is a misnomer. As one sees portraits of common people rather than emperors! “They have little money but they are happy and so emperors in their own right,” reasons the artist. To quote the artist: “I feel immense love and respect when I see our ordinary humans for what they are....They travel my mental prism; for no reason magically materialise, forcing me to design and register them picturesquely, bestowing eternal peace upon me,” shares the artist.

The portraits are many and the moods myriad. “I made a trip to Maha Kumbha Mela and Rajasthan and then made these portraits.” A closer look at the works reveals the intricate way in which the artist has painted them. Not only are the moods many – sad, happy, pensive, forlorn, and so on but the face bears the pathos, pain, happiness and so are the lines and wrinkles evident on them. The faces are invariably those of mostly older men and at times women barring one or two of the young. “I like rural people and all their experience is reflected on their faces!”

These people could be ‘godmen’, priests, or somebody with a horse or just ordinary people. Most of them sport a headgear –turban (tied in different ways) or cap. The artist seems to be certainly fascinated by the old – probably because they are more expressive to portray too as they have seen enough of life. The artist paints the portraits without any backdrop and the effect is strong. The focus is much on the face and a bit on the clothes. The portraits are realistic, arresting and with a magnetic appeal. Painting such realistic mesmeric faces in water colours is not an easy task as the medium dries up fast. And more so one has to be very quick in painting. Rajkumar has mastered enough skills over the years to do this with one stroke (as no re-working can be done). “Generally watercolours are used for landscapes but I feel the medium fully supports me. Everything I do on the Archies paper is spontaneous.”

But he is humble enough to say “An Astral nature who seems to sing the music of depiction sitting on a chair in front of me gracefully moves the brush in my hand and spreads the colour of beauty on the canvas drawing shapes and structures making blissful, lively, intervening white spaces along with marvellous shades of colours!” The exhibition is on at Shrishti Art Gallery till September 18 (11 am to 7 pm).