Annual art exhibition a treat for Kovai patrons

COIMBATORE: The painting exhibition at Chithrakala Academy, an annual event for the last 34 years, was launched on February 15 and will go on till February19. This is the largest event in the city for art lovers.
The academy was started as the Pioneer District Art Centre in 1978 by eminent personalities in Coimbatore. “I joined as a student in 1979 and am now the president of the academy,” said V Jeevananthan, one of the city’s best-known artists.
Right from its early days, Chithrakala Academy has encountered many hurdles in taking art to the people. “In the beginning, people viewed the art with suspicion. People were not too sure about modern art. But over the last 34, these views have changed and people have embraced modern art,” said Jeevananthan.
“Art is what makes us different from animals and machines. It is a unique gift possessed by man alone. It is up to us to hone the skills hidden inside us,” he said.
As many as 63 Coimbatore-based artists have displayed their paintings at the exhibition. “Acrylic is still the most popular material used. Oil paintings take a long time to dry. There are a few water colours too,” said Jeevananthan.
Jeevananthan has created two acrylic paintings for the exhibition – ‘From the Light’ and ‘The Kissing Fish’. “The actual process of painting takes only one-and-a-half hours for me. But the thought process behind the painting can take days,” he said.
All the paintings have never been displayed before and have been especially created for the fair, though they do not have a common theme. Adjacent to the painting exhibition is a permanent exhibit of European paintings.
“It is only now that people in the city want to own a painting for their home. So they visit such shows. Although our primary aim is to merely exhibit the paintings and garner appreciation, they recently have started selling too. But we don’t enjoy the status of our counterparts in Chennai,” he said.
Painters from all walks of life have contributed to the exhibition. “One is a doctor at Aravind Eye Hosptial. One is a Plus Two student who comes for our Sunday classes,” he said.
N Padmarajan, treasurer, Chithrakala Academy, said that he was proud to display a self-portrait of his at the exhibition. “It has always been a thrill to be here,” he said.