Canvas for the oppressed

The space artist Bara Bhaskaran has chosen to exhibit his work Amazing Museum at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, has his illustrations vying for space with each other. But that is exactly what he wanted — that feeling of being congested in a small confined space. He says, “The people I draw are all small people in terms of their status in society and are usually underdogs and I wanted my space also to denote that!”

His illustrations depict history through people —usually the common folk and are influenced by the places he has travelled to. One of his drawings ‘Amazing Museum IV’ is a microcosm of every sight and individual that caught his eye while in Bihar covering the 2015 state Assembly elections. What one sees in the expansive drawing are red mud houses, cows, the mighty Ganga, a wrestling match as well as a man belonging to the lower class being whipped — a stark reminder of the caste system that still exists, along with the history of the region. He says, “This is a departure from the illustrations of people that I draw.” This is just one of the works that grabs attention. His body of work has been titled as Amazing Museum and brings to life people, places, monuments, lifestyles and objects that are either long forgotten or not part of history books.

Another illustration that commands attention is of two grim-looking tribal couples which took shape when he was staying in Wayanad working on the biography of tribal leader C.K. Janu. The marginalised tribal community snared his attention caught as they were in the throes of an everyday battle for their land and rights. The illustrations show two tribal couples looking like they are standing on an auction block — perhaps a throwback to the era of slave trade of yore. Most of Bhaskaran’s illustrations are of women and children. There is also an illustration of a printing press which, Bhaskaran informs, belonged to famous painter Raja Ravi Varma — displayed in a Manipal museum now. He opines, “The historical importance of that press is huge — Hindu Gods who were till then worshipped only in sanctum sanctorums began to be worshipped at homes.”