Bonding through art

For Karuna Gopal, a social activist, leader and politician, bonding with son Srinivas Vikram over art is the only thing that keeps her going amid her demanding schedule. The mother, who always indulged in art since childhood found new meaning to it when it became therapy for her autistic son. Now, the mom-son duo, work together on canvases and their latest offering Bonding Over Bamboos is on display at the Gallery Space.

The strokes of bamboos that reflect, ‘bend but don’t break’, are a constant motif; while Karuna’s work as the President of Futuristic Cities, also comes through in a few canvases. “The way cities are planned or rather not planned has influenced a few canvases. Bamboos, are now being considered an eco-friendly and an economic alternative to building material,” she says. One of her untitled mixed-media work has a profile silhouette of a human with a head jutting out of the skyline of a city. Karuna says, “This is how our cities are growing.

Fast and haphazard.”While both mother and son work together on the canvases, Karuna says Srinivas is showing an inclination towards abstract art. Two canvases titled ‘Raw, yet cemented’ have the larger structure of a DNA strand, but with more symbolisms enquiring into the structures of our lives. Buddha is also a recurring motif in the show. However, the circular canvas titled ‘Taramati at night’ manages to stand apart with the narrative of the “haunted monument” legend that we are all aware of.