Memories of a Home

GROWING UP on a plantation in Munnar, located at the edge of a forest, P.R. Satheesh forged a strong bond with nature in his early years. He would spend hours amid trees or playing with animals. Spotting a wild creature that had strayed into their property or around it, wasn't uncommon either. But when he left for Government College of Fine Arts in Trivandrum, his first real exposure to city life, it overwhelmed him. "It was a stark contrast to the life I had led growing up, and this is what my art is about," explains Satheesh, looking at his multi-panel untitled artwork that hangs at Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke in Colaba, Mumbai.

Defined by infinite loops in bold colours such as acid yellows and greens, the large-scale paintings do not feature defined figures or clean lines. However, there is a strong sense of nature — trees, animals, even people. The 49-year-old calls it “my style of landscape art”, adding that he is aware it is unlike the usual landscapes one sees. Perhaps this is also what fascinated curator Anita Dube, who invited Satheesh to participate in Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2018-19.

Satheesh’s Mumbai debut, titled “Frenetic” — also his first solo showing — is an extension of the works on display at the Biennale. Walking around the gallery, looking at his works, Satheesh feels it took a long while for his work to find its voice. The initial inspiration to pursue art came from his father, who would carve on wood. But it took him several attempts before he could get into the arts college. “I lacked the communication skills to make the cut until my brother set me up to live with some art students for some time. Not only did it give me exposure to art, but also to life,” he says. Sure enough, this time when he applied, Satheesh enrolled in the art institution.

(Excerpted from the article written by Dipti Nagpaul for Indian Express)