“People often try to mask their pain with makeup, with fancy clothes or a put on smile, but the eyes, they never lie. The eyes always reveal the truth” — These lines serve as visual artist Jyotiprakash Sethy’s introduction to his art that he showcasing at an ongoing exhibition in town.
Titled, Marred Reality, the exhibition by Sethy is his first attempt at a solo exhibition and what one quickly can notice about his work is that most pieces are a study on the eyes of women. Made with mixed media, mostly a combination of water colours, newspapers and charcoal, these artworks are an attempt to bring forth the plight of women who are suffering around the world. “Every day, a woman is subjected to different kinds of violence. They are harassed, their fundamental rights are denied, and oppression weighs heavy on them. They’re told to stay silent, to mask their fears and their hurt, and are told to show the world that they are happy. But, that is never hidden. Their eyes will always tell you a different story. That is why my artworks concentrate only on the eyes of women and nothing more. And, in those eyes is a mirror that shows the reality of our society,” says Sethy.
Visitors at Sethy’s exhibition will also notice a series of paintings that showcase the lives of children in Syria too, and that is again an attempt of showing the world what it is doing to the future generations. Sethy explains that all his works on Syria draw reference from an Australian photographers images from the Syrian war. “Much like my other series, this too is an attempt to show the world that these children are suffering. Guns are being handed to them, they wake up to bombing, their childhoods are stolen along with their innocence, and education is something they do not know anymore,” he says.
All of artists’ work is noticeably in monochromatic hues with only hints of colour as part of them, ask him why he chose such a palette and he explains, “Black is a colour I have always loved working with. When all colours come together, Black is formed, and that helps me put together an image that is much deeper in meaning than it appears to be.” A trained artist, Sethy, has been professionally working in the art world for over 12 years now, but he says that his love for art was always a part of him. Ask him about his inspirations, and he quickly replies, “I do not follow any artist specifically. For me, my only reference and guide is my mentor, my guru, Anwar Khan who has always pushed me to bring out the best in me.” While Sethy isn’t much of a talker, he explains each of his works beautifully, something he promises to do for anyone who shows genuine interest in his art. He also hopes, that some day, his art would inspire the much needed change that our society needs.
[“source=hindustantimes”]
