Magic of Dots
The six-day exhibition The Touch Graph has on display the dot art, Arabic calligraphy and engraved works of Satheesh Malappuram.
The art form ‘Dot Drawing’ or ‘Pointillism’,was developed in 1886 as a branch of ‘impressionism’ in which small, distinct dots of colours are applied in patterns to form an image. What makes pointillism mesmerising is the way it takes advantage of how our eyes work with our brain. That is exactly what Satheesh Malappuram’s work did with art lovers who visited his exhibition in Kozhikode city.
In between his busy schedule as a Forest Department official Satheesh finds time to create some intricate works of art. He took it up as a hobby, inspired by one of his friends and learnt it all by himself. Nature is one of the most prominent themes in most of his dot pictures. Standing next to the dotted picture of his mother, Satheesh speaks about the effort that goes into creating these works, “Each picture takes around seven days. Much care and patience is required to create that perfect picture.”
Also on display at the ‘Touch Graph’ six-day Metal art exhibition at Kerala Lalithakala Academy Art Gallery are metal engraved works by Satheesh.
He has portrayed his favourite celebrities using metal nails on matte black-painted aluminium canvas so that the silver glitters form beautiful pictures.
As many as 60 such engraved pictures are on display. When asked about his favourite style of work, Satheesh says, “I love pictures with realism.” Satheesh’s art work of ‘Arabic Calligraphy’ is also displayed at the exhibition. “Orders for these kind of engravings come from Dubai mostly,” says Satheesh, who is looking forward to getting more opportunities to exhibit his works.