A self-taught artist who has been in the advertising field for long, Hanumanth Devulapalli says, “My work evolves from my meditative experiences and visual contemplations. I used to paint regularly even earlier, but for the last 10 years, my entire focus is on painting.” His works have been exhibited at many national and international art galleries, the most recent being the show at Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. The Mumbai exhibition got an overwhelming response and was immensely appreciated. “I had not expected such an immense response in Mumbai. It was very satisfying to see the viewers instantly connecting to my works. This inspires me to explore my medium of expression with renewed vigour and enthusiasm,” says Hanumanth, who works with a simplified, minimalistic vocabulary.
His works are not to be decoded. It could rather be experienced with a clear, open and neutral mind to find different visual interpretations — of silent pauses, serene equilibrium and glimpses of tranquility. Hanumanth’s recent acrylic series Contemplations in Colour reinstate a sense of harmony. The subtle pastel hues enhance the metaphysical essence. Colour, perhaps the artist’s preferred element of expression, is layered and then scratched in a stylistically rich manner within the vicinity of geometric shapes. The application is such that the forms imbibe liveliness and depth. The small particles and sandy grains do not contain a flat colour tone, but look intrinsically luminescent.
The emotive and philosophical strengths of colour support the artist’s thoughts to the fullest. There are no stark contrasts in the colour palette; it is soft and gradually shifts intensity granting an innate rhythm and sense of semblance and relation of each section of the work to another. The visual dictionary absorbs so much from subconscious realisations arranged in a grid that draws inspiration from the age-old Indian tantric mandalas. The works thus look like personalised mandalas based on the unveiling of the inner self and attainment of long-lasting mental pleasure.
