G. Reghu’s works are his sociological and anthropological take on society, and what attracts the most is the simplicity and rusticity of the sculptures. The artist’s creations were recently on display at Seagull Books in Kolkata, where they were presented in a unique way — amalgamating Reghu’s artworks with budding musician Jivraj Singh’s experimental soundscape. Titled Sandbox, the exhibition showcased the untitled works of Reghu.
A sculpture by Reghu displayed at Seagull Books
Reghu, an alumni of College of Fine Arts in Thiruvananthapuram, started his journey as an artist in 1988. While stone was his primary medium of choice for artistic expression, he soon found his interest in ceramic and terracotta. The villages of India and the tribal communities are an area of interest for Reghu, as he seeks inspiration for his sculptures from the daily sights around him. The everyday fight for sustenance leaves an impact on the figures that he makes. Currently, a resident of Bengaluru, Reghu has selected the outskirts of the bustling city to observe rural life.
Human and animal figurines by Reghu
Clay, a predominant material in Reghu’s sculptures, holds a deep significance for the artist. The culmination of a life, or the sheer aesthetics in the texture of clay, sparks introspection and artistic inquisitiveness in him. Touching the clay to give it a shape and form is something that Reghu prefers, for it keeps him closer to the soil – to the roots.
Many moods of a human at display
The sculptures on display, be it children at play or adults at leisure, and Jivraj and his team’s lyrical yet unusual soundscape created a cinematic audio-visual experience. Perhaps, somewhere, in the back of the mind, the experience took the viewer back to a Nuri Bilge Ceylan or Bella Tarr world, with an unknown yet comforting similarity.
“A relationship forms with the clay, if you keep working with it. For me, soil is everything and I have profound regards for it, I can never leave it,” shared Reghu with My Kolkata, when asked to reflect on his art. The craftsmanship towards making figures dates back to his tenure in Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal, where he worked on stone and terracotta statues. His works, especially the facial and physical attributes, have strong Dravidian and African features.
Another artwork by Reghu
A light and shadow play at Seagull Books, something that stemmed from Naveen Kishore’s experience in theatre, created an ambience of intrigue. Drums and various other instruments at the perusal of the musicians, music created from a ruffle of paper or a soundscape that resonated with wind chimes, and figures with their rough surfaces created mental pictures of fraught, frugal, yet fulfilling lives of people who were strangers, but not entirely unknown.
Ceramic stoneware sculptures by Reghu
“Nature, humans and animals — the semblance and the mutual relationship strikes me, and they reflect in my work”, shared Reghu, narrating how a man who is grazing a cow and enjoying a few moments under a tree leaves an impact on him. The organic symmetry in Jivraj’s music arrangement somehow brought together the main theme of Reghu’s work — sustenance and survival of not just one species, but a mutual cohabitation of many.
Art aficionados at Seagull Books at the exhibition
Reghu’s ceramic stoneware will be on display at Arthshila in Santiniketan from January 12 to February 8.
