Artist Kappari Kishan works from four in the morning and continues up till nine, before stepping out towards Jawahar Bal Bhavan, where he teaches art to children. He has spent his last few days, giving the final touches for his upcoming art show at the Ginger Lily Art Gallery, which resonates a single theme — Buddha.
And so, the artist whose works are inspired by that of artist Vaikuntam’s, merges his characteristic paintings of women in plaited hair, with stories from the life of Buddha in the background. Or the serenity of Buddha’s face, steeped in meditation sharply contrasted with a bright colour in the background. But this isn’t the first time, Kappari has incorporated stories from Buddhas’s life in his paintings.
“I have been having a Buddha-themed exhibition every year around the time of Buddha Poornima for the last five years. Through my work, I try and give out his message of peace and non-violence.”
About the commercial viability of his exhibition, Kappari says, “Sales vary from year to year and I wouldn’t say that the commercial aspect doesn’t matter, but then again, it is a spiritual pursuit. It’s like the paint strokes on my canvas naturally transform into a Buddha. And that’s why I’ll keep having this exhibition every year.”
Kappari who normally sticks to acrylic on canvas, has also done paintings on wooden blocks of varied shapes and sizes this year. “For next year, I am planning to request artists from other cities to join in and contribute to the theme, so that we could have more diverse artworks on display,” he adds.
