Mysore style gets a revival
29 May 2013 8:40 AM IST
A traditional art form that once graced the temples and palaces of the centuries-old Wodeyar empire, the intricate Mysore style of painting, which is found to be on the decline has found an active advocate in artist Shobabna Udayasankar.
Shobabana, a recipient of the Karnataka Lalitkala Akademi Millenium award is showcasing ‘Royal Art’ a collection of paintings with focus on the lesser-known traditional Mysore school of art, a stream that has till recently remained in the shadow of its more common sister art form, the Tanjore art.
‘Our main purpose is to popularise this art form. We want people to know and remember this art form. We do not want profits. We just want people to know about the richness of this form,’ says Krishna Udayasankar, daughter of Shobabana Udayasankar.
An expert especially in the extremely minute and intricate 'gesso' work that is used to create an embossed effect on the paintings, Shobana says her mission is to revive interest in the Mysore style by making it accessible and relevant to contemporary audience.
Over the past 20 years the artist has been receiving training under the master artist Dundaraja as well as advanced training under the renowned Mysore royal palace artist and curator, the 90-year-old Ramanarasaiah.
Talking about the speciality of Mysore paintings, Krishna says, ‘Mysore paintings are done with gold foil. It is very intricate and detailed. It preserves a plethora of knowledge and has many things to convey to the audience.’
The collection of paintings presented in The Royal Art mostly comprise representations of events occurring in spiritual and mythological texts.
‘Mythology is the mainstay of Mysore paintings. I think subject and art form should complement each other.
Mythological characters can be brilliantly depicted through Mysore paintings. But I am willing to push the boundaries by representing mythology in innovative and expansive ways. We have paintings where Rama and Sita are depicted in Thai style,’ says Krishna.
Shobabana incorporates non-traditional representations of from scripture and mythology in novel viewpoints such as Balinese and Thai culture.
The exhibition, says Krishna,has also been well-received by the audience.
‘People are very eager to know about the art form. They want to know what Mysore painting is all about. We have visitors who spend 2-3 hours who are really interested to know about the background of each painting. I think people do take a lot of interest in knowing about Mysore art form and it is also very important to tell them the deeper meaning embedded in every painting,’ says Krishna.
Mysore paintings of the 19th century were generally done on paperboard or cloth using both mineral and vegetable pigments.
Shobabana has based her art on tales and events occurring in various scriptural and mythological texts, including the Puranas.
While the 'Samudra Manthana' (Churning of the Ocean) is a metaphorical depiction of the creation of the manifested world that features over fifty individual figures, 'The Wedding of Girija (Parvathi) and Shiva' and 'Kama-Kameswari' are examples of deeper philosophical ruminations on the structure of the cosmos that have been presented and preserved for generations as art.
The paintings are priced between Rs 5000 to Rs 3 lakh and enthused by the reception to her exhibition, the artist says she plans to hold another exhibition of Mysore paintings again in Delhi next year.
Meanwhile, the current display that began 22 May is scheduled to continue till the end of the month.
Shobabana, a recipient of the Karnataka Lalitkala Akademi Millenium award is showcasing ‘Royal Art’ a collection of paintings with focus on the lesser-known traditional Mysore school of art, a stream that has till recently remained in the shadow of its more common sister art form, the Tanjore art.
‘Our main purpose is to popularise this art form. We want people to know and remember this art form. We do not want profits. We just want people to know about the richness of this form,’ says Krishna Udayasankar, daughter of Shobabana Udayasankar.
An expert especially in the extremely minute and intricate 'gesso' work that is used to create an embossed effect on the paintings, Shobana says her mission is to revive interest in the Mysore style by making it accessible and relevant to contemporary audience.
Over the past 20 years the artist has been receiving training under the master artist Dundaraja as well as advanced training under the renowned Mysore royal palace artist and curator, the 90-year-old Ramanarasaiah.
Talking about the speciality of Mysore paintings, Krishna says, ‘Mysore paintings are done with gold foil. It is very intricate and detailed. It preserves a plethora of knowledge and has many things to convey to the audience.’
The collection of paintings presented in The Royal Art mostly comprise representations of events occurring in spiritual and mythological texts.
‘Mythology is the mainstay of Mysore paintings. I think subject and art form should complement each other.
Mythological characters can be brilliantly depicted through Mysore paintings. But I am willing to push the boundaries by representing mythology in innovative and expansive ways. We have paintings where Rama and Sita are depicted in Thai style,’ says Krishna.
Shobabana incorporates non-traditional representations of from scripture and mythology in novel viewpoints such as Balinese and Thai culture.
The exhibition, says Krishna,has also been well-received by the audience.
‘People are very eager to know about the art form. They want to know what Mysore painting is all about. We have visitors who spend 2-3 hours who are really interested to know about the background of each painting. I think people do take a lot of interest in knowing about Mysore art form and it is also very important to tell them the deeper meaning embedded in every painting,’ says Krishna.
Mysore paintings of the 19th century were generally done on paperboard or cloth using both mineral and vegetable pigments.
Shobabana has based her art on tales and events occurring in various scriptural and mythological texts, including the Puranas.
While the 'Samudra Manthana' (Churning of the Ocean) is a metaphorical depiction of the creation of the manifested world that features over fifty individual figures, 'The Wedding of Girija (Parvathi) and Shiva' and 'Kama-Kameswari' are examples of deeper philosophical ruminations on the structure of the cosmos that have been presented and preserved for generations as art.
The paintings are priced between Rs 5000 to Rs 3 lakh and enthused by the reception to her exhibition, the artist says she plans to hold another exhibition of Mysore paintings again in Delhi next year.
Meanwhile, the current display that began 22 May is scheduled to continue till the end of the month.
Next Story
