Art by Gary Archer
| Photo Credit: Sangita Rajan
Inside the high walls of the British Deputy High Commission in Chennai, a small queue has formed. Security personnel verified identities from an approved guest list, and the low buzz of excitement carried through the lawns. This was the venue for Madras Art Weekend’s one-day exhibition.
A Spotlight on South — a showcase of art by 21 emerging and established artists from Chennai was being hosted by the British Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai Oliver Balhatchett and his wife Raylsi Balhatchett, an avid art collector. Some of the participating artists were Amar Ramesh, Nivedita S, Sandeep Singaravel, Narayan Lakshman, and Gary Archer, among others.
Sandeep Singaravel, who is displaying his art for the first time, says that the Madras Art Weekend is a great platform for artists like him. Pointing towards his origami artwork dotted with acrylic paint, he says, “This moment is representative of goddess Madurai Meenakshi’s floral procession, and each dot is a flower. All patterns are inspired by the procession, and the credit goes to the artisans who do the floral arrangements for the goddess.”
Art by Sandeep Singaravel
| Photo Credit:
Sangita Rajan
“This series of portraits has been extremely personal to me. I took a very difficult part of my life, and turned it into art. Now I’m going around Chennai, talking to people about their struggles and turning them into art. It has been a healing process for both me and my muses,” says Nivedita S, who has a series of sketches displayed at the exhibit.
Guest viewing art by Gary Archer
| Photo Credit:
Sangita Rajan
The second edition of the Madras Art weekend played host to nine exhibitions, two international artists and a series of talks and workshops that were designed with the aim of making art inclusive and engaging. “This year, the art weekend has doubled in size. They are truly building a community of artists across the spectrum, and Chennai lacked that. I feel like I’m part of an avant-garde movement for the city,” said Narayan Lakshman, who was also a part of the first edition of Madras Art Weekend. He had three abstract works of art up for display and sale at the exhibit.
He adds, “What the Madras Art Weekend has done is, by getting together different kinds of artists, encouraged cross-fertilisation of ideas. To me, the dream scenario would be one where artists work together without being scared to show their methods and learn.”