Man-animal conflict: Jumbos come alive on Praveen Kumar's canvas

Bengaluru: Urban development has taken its toll on the green cover of the city, but the most vulnerable is the wildlife that resides within. The human and wildlife conflict has been growing and there may not be a way to completely stop it, but there is still a chance to handle it better, was the thought that crossed artist Praveen Kumar’s mind when he was putting together his debut collection of acrylic on canvas titled Love for The Giants. With his love for animals and a sense of cause, the art exhibition aims to spread awareness on the recurring human-elephant conflict at the Bannerghatta National Park.

“I always wanted my skill to be used for a cause. I wanted it to be more than just art,” says the 27-year-old artist, who is putting up the collection in collaboration with A Rocha, a non-governmental organisation that works with wildlife welfare. The fifteen-piece exhibition has abstract paintings as well as pottery and each of them tells a story about elephants that he met during his one-and-a-half-year research. There are pieces that portray urbanisation taking over forest land where he shows the perimeter of the cityscape near the Park with a small herd of elephants. There are depictions of elephants rampaging fields as humans watch helplessly. There are stories of happier times, of elephants swimming in a pond or just basking in their natural habitat.

“It gives one a wholesome idea of dangers that these gentle giants face and the damages that boomerang back to us,” he says.The collection also raises questions on the need for adequate fencing of the Park and the need to study the elephants’ behaviour.

“One must remember that these are animals and there is no way to say that these problems won’t happen,” said Prem Mitra, chairman of A Rocha India. “Their migrating patterns have changed. There is a desperate need for awareness and education and a need to study their movements so that we can at least warn in the face of a mishap.”

The collection aims to raise funds for the NGO’s efforts towards the scientific study and surveillance of the Park. “Most people in the city don’t even know that there are wild elephants just 25 km away from them, they only know of the zoo. They only know of the one kept in captivity. This is an effort to share stories and awareness, in the hope of bringing about a positive growth in the city’s only National Park.” The exhibition will be inaugurated and open to all on 2nd April at 11 am and will continue up to 9th April at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.