A perennial crowd pleaser who won the world with his incredible imagination, vibrant strokes, unassuming charm and wry humour, Padma Vibhushan K.G. Subramanyan (KGS), however, waited till his nineties to exhibit his masterpieces in his home state.
Nevertheless, it is a proud moment for the art aficionados of Kerala and the artist himself. “It took me so long to be back to my mother’s nest,” chuckles KGS, as he interacts with the art lovers in Kochi who gathered to watch a documentary on him by award-winning director Shaji N. Karun. “I was amazed to watch the film. With natural shots, chronological description of my artworks and a peep into my personal life, it has become an intellectual ‘avial’,” he quips.
For KGS, dreams never die and he refuses to let age interfere with them. “Every morning I get up with a feeling that I am old and drowsy. But when I look through the window and see the sun’s rays falling on me, I regain energy. People who are seriously interested in life will seriously think of living it,” is his firm belief.
Regarded as one of the pioneers of Indian modern art, KGS explored the possibilities of art by giving new dimensions to the human figures by making them appear more as characters from various myths and traditional narratives. “When an artist gives life to his imagination, he should always be aware of the fact that the language of his expression is not fully his. It is developed between him and his viewers. The style of an artist transforms as his experience grows.”
Talking about how art is influenced by folk and indigenous tradition, KGS says that wonders are created when such collaboration takes place. “Folk arts make their own language from littleness. I have seen inhabitants of Gujarat turning a mud hut into a palace overnight by decorating the walls. Art is also a language of expression. Hence when they merge there comes another miracle.”
Born in 1924 in Kuthuparamba in Kannur, KGS was an active participant in the Indian freedom struggle since 1944. “Gandhian principles taught me to trust the world and trust oneself. Tagore was another man who influenced me. He told me once, ‘We lost our independence by becoming weak in our culture’. His words inspired me to take up art.”
Fondly called Manida by his admiring students, KGS reveals that he has always tried not to be treated like a teacher. “In fact I would have been ruined,” he adds. A good teacher, in his view, should always be a good student who is humble enough to challenge himself and work with youngsters.
He feels Indian artists must make use of the wide range of possibilities offered by visual communication. “India’s art institutions and centres are yet to catch up with the changes brought about by new technologies. Education should not be related to something in the past or that has gone by, but must be based on situations that are yet to come, probably in the next 10 years,” he hopes.
