It came as a shock to the art world when the still youthful-looking Yusuf Arakkal passed away recently. In the Bengaluru-based artist’s memory, an exhibition of his works is being organised at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery, Kochi. The show titled Faces of Creativity, showcasing 80 of his portraits, turned out to be a fitting tribute to the departed artist. Talks by renowned artists have been arranged.
The event was inaugurated by the Kerala Lalitakala Academy chairman Sathyapal followed by a speech by P. Sudhakaran, reputed journalist and artist, who talked about Yusuf Arrakal as a master in sketching human faces. His wife Sara Arakkal was also present during the inauguration.
“His portraits always reflected the sidelined faces of reality and the truth of life,” said Susheela P., a member of the academy. Overcoming a lot of hurdles in life, Arakkal naturally dwelt deep into reality and his works turn out to be virtually a satire of the society. He picked out and assigned space to different faces from amongst crowds. “It is the human presence that arouses my attention and stirs my creative inner space. I have been committed through my work, seeking a definition of human situations,” is what he had said. Sharing space in several individual and institutional collections in India and abroad, Yusuf’s works are acknowledged at a global level. Known for his contribution to the world of abstract and contemporary art, national award winning Yusuf Arakkal’s Faces of Creativity, which has been exhibited before in other cities, was surely a visual tribute.
The exhibition is on till October 30.
