Of art and erotica

City artists say they condemn the violence inflicted on artists who paint nudes.
The recent assault on artist Pranava Prakash in Delhi for his collection of paintings titled ‘Bollywood Unlimited’ that showcased some Bollywood celebs in the nude, has once again opened the much-heated debate over artistic freedom of expression. While this debate may never come to a conclusive end, artists from Hyderabad, who was the country’s most celebrated yet misunderstood artist, share their take with us.
‘80% of my work is erotic’!’
Pranava Prakash’s paintings were allegedly destroyed by people who were of the opinion that the paintings were against Indian culture, Well-known city-based artist, Fawad Tamakanat, says, “We have the freedom of expression, but it should not be taken for granted.An artist cannot play up anything and everything. He/she needs to have a sense of responsibility. But that said, an artist does have the liberty to paint what he/she likes, while only being careful of not hurting religious sentiments. Religion is a very sensitive subject and it should never be depicted in a wrong manner just because we have freedom of expression. These miscreants, who keep attacking artists, only have political motives. Most of them don’t understand a thing about art. They only want mileage through their acts,” he adds.
Fawad Tamkanat, who is also known for his erotic artworks, says, “Eighty per cent of my paintings are erotic. And many collectors of such artworks are conservative women. By conservative, I mean these women are not really into art and would never be expected to buy them. But when they happen to see my erotic paintings, they do pick them up for their bedrooms. In 1996, I had organized a display of erotic drawings, which depicted women wearing bindis. One person actually came up to me and said, ‘You have painted Hindu women in the nude!’ I was shocked! A woman is a woman, right? How can her bindi suggest her religious inclinations.”
Why paint familiar faces in nude?
Sanjay Astaputre, another popular artist from Hyderabad, who has been painting and drawing the human forms in different ways, says, “Nude painting is not an easy job. If an artist does feel like painting an erotic work, he/she can choose any person. It could just be out of imagination. Why choose a familiar face? It is bound to attract attention and objection. The recent incident is that the artist wanted to gain publicity through nude drawings of Bollywood celebs. I don’t think that’s right.”
Indirect sexuality is safe
Kiran Varikalla, a Hyderabadi artist, who has painted many self-portraits in the nude is of the opinion that in a city as conservative as ours, it is best to limit oneself to indirect sexuality in one’s artwork. “I have done self portraits in the nude. I express my sexuality, my erotic feelings through my drawings. But it is limited to my own body, I show myself in the nude, so I haven’t faced any flak. I would not paint anyone else in the nude because I want to be careful not to hurt anybody. As such, an indirect approach to sexuality in paintings is what I consider the best,” he says.
Art appreciation in schools?
“We need art appreciation classes in schools. No fundamentalist can dictate terms to painters as to what and how he/she should paint. Erotic art is deeply rooted in Indian culture. It is an essence of life. There is a thin line between nudity, nakedness and pornography. One should develop the aesthetic sensibility to appreciate erotica,” concludes Fawad.
rupam.jain@timesgroup.com