An artist’s take on Ramayana

The story of Ramayana has been retold through various forms. And each retelling is presented in a new version.

Giving a face to mythical characters is always a challenge for an artist, and Bharat Tripathi has done so by taking various stories from the epic poem and painting them with the image of the character in the epic related to the story in the background.

Bharat has drawn inspiration from mythology and come up with a simple interpretation of the text in his works. The canvases are not cluttered with elements and make use of a vivid palette to bring a sense of vibrancy to the works. However, he has been careful to interpret the text carefully, so that every element from that episode finds a place on his canvas.

Based in Mumbai, the artist says his works are conceptual and thematic, and he tries to present them in figurative abstract form after conducting a thorough research. He believes the art of religion is the best of all arts and the story of religion is the best of all stories.

Speaking about his current show, the artist says the Ramayana is divided into chapters called K aand .

For instance, Baal Kaand spans from the birth of Lord Rama to his marriage with Sita; Ayodhya Kaandis related to the 14-year exile of Lord Rama; Aranya Kaand is the time spent by Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman in the forest; Kishkindha Kaand is when Rama and Lakshman reach Kishkindha in search of Sita; Sunder Kaand is entirely dedicated to Lord Hanuman; Lanka Kaand is about Lord Rama reaching Lanka; Uttar Kaand is believed to have been written later, which narrates the banishment of Sita, the birth of Luv and Kush.

“I have conceptualised the entire Ramayana in such a manner that every Kaand is conveyed in one canvas or sometimes two canvases,” says Bharat.

The self-taught artist, who joined the Indian Revenue Services in 1988, picked up the brush only 15 years ago after a chance meeting with S.H. Raza, who not only inspired but also encouraged him to paint. He is presently under the tutelage of Anjolie Ela Menon.

Bharat says he has drawn from his mentors in order to develop his style.

“The deep, bright colours come from the love I have for Raza’s works and Anjolie has taught me the importance of detail in every canvas.”

On whether he is extra cautious when depicting religions texts, especially because people tend to get offend and are unwilling to accept any other interpretations besides their own, Bharat says he does an extensive study for all his works so that his visual depiction is as accurate as possible and leaves no room for anybody to take offence.

The show, where 12 paintings form the series, has been curated by Ranjit Hoskote. The paintings will be on display at the Lalit Kala Akademi till November 21.