In memory of her father, paying a tribute to Chitrashilpi Venkatappa Awardee, Late M S Chandrashekar, Shailaja Ramesh and other family members hosted an exhibition displaying some of his masterpieces at Chitrakala Parishat recently. Born on April 16, 1924, M S Chandrashekar developed a fascination for nature and love for painting from his early childhood. He is quoted as saying ‘Trees have character like human’s, to show their individuality’. This was a part of of his worship of nature, trees, colour, texture and tones. His paintings are reflections of nature and the air around it. ”He was highly fascinated by the atmosphere and the air around nature. Most of his paintings reflect these elements,” says Shailaja.

One of the turning points of Chandrashekar’s life came when he was selected to copy the murals at the caves of Ajanta for the archives of the Archeological Survey of India and UNESCO.

He went through the strenuous process of copying nearly 2000 sq ft with ‘composure’ as Shailija recalls. He copied some of the most famous works like Bodhisattva Padmapani, the birth of Buddha, Mother and Child.
 His paintings portray nature in the presence of various elements like men, animals, household and landscapes. “He loved to play with light and colour to display the variety in nature,” Shailaja adds. His works also touch small portions of village life with depictions of cows grazing and sights by the river. But more than the scene it is the beautifully captured atmosphere with its vibrant and strong emotion that grabs the eye of the viewer. Indeed, he was nothing short of the title ‘master water colourist’. The exhibition  will continue at Chitrakala Parishat till May 14 between 11am and 7 pm.