Unfortunately, it is human nature for us to only learn and grow from a place of emptiness. It’s hard to learn when we are winning and on top of the world. – Yehuda Berg. In October, Indian art lost one of its most valuable gems, Yusuf Arakkal. He epitomised the life of a true artist. Not only did he make it big as an artist, but also helped many artists to get a platform wherein they could showcase on a bigger stage. The void he has left behind can never be filled, but what artists at Gallerie Sara Arakkal have done for the annual show is that, they have juxtaposed the best collections they could assemble and have created an art show which shows a lot of promise.
The show, which was tentatively scheduled in October had to be delayed due to the untimely passing away of the legend, but Sara Arakkal, as strong as she has always been throughout these years, has made sure that the show must go on. And this year’s show brings about the best of artists, both senior and young – something Yusuf and Ms Sara Arakkal have always practiced since the inception of the gallery.
The art show this time has in totality over 45 artists. Apart from presenting a cross-section of the Indian art scene, especially from South India, which includes Achuthan Kudallur, Aishwaryan K, Anuradha Nalpat, Azis TM, Babu Namboodri, Bharathi Sagar, Devan Madangarli, Gita Hudson, Gopinath S, Gurudas Shenoy, Jasu Rawal, John C.F, Kalidas B Sonar, Kanthraj N, Lokesh B.H, Mani M Mani, Manjunath, Mohammed Rizwan, Panchakshari, Praveen Kumar, Price Chand, Raghu. S, Ramling Belkote, Ramu Maredu, Rani Rekha, Ravikumar Kashi, Rekha Rao, Sara Hussain, Satish Sholapur, Sheelvanth, Shibu Arakkal, Shirely Mathew, Sudhir Meher, Sujith Kumar and, of course, Yusuf Arakkal, this time, there are also 10 new faces — Aatmica Ojha, Indu Tripathy, Manush John, Meen Das Narayan, Poonam Agarwal, Ravindran Valapad, Sharad Bhardwaj, Smitha GS, Somu Arumugam and Vincy SR to name a few.
Gurudas Shenoy’s stunning colours and landscapes are evident in his works. While Raghu’s works are intriguing and they question the dichotomies of urban life and the struggle for water. Aishwaryan’s works are at his simplistic and contemporary best, Shibu Arakkal’s stunning capture of imagery is captivating. However, the outstanding position is reserved to the man himself, the phenom, Yusuf Arakkal and his Last Supper, which is the icing on the cake. The stunning show by these artists is a fitting tribute to a man who always believed in not only creating works of incredible magnitude but also nurturing new talent. Sara Arakkal has done a wonderful job of amalgamating the best of visual showpieces. The art show is on until January 31.
— The writer is an art expert and curator.
