Yusuf Arakkal, we will miss you

Yusuf Arakkal, who passed away this week, was an inalienable part of the artistic and cultural life of Bengaluru for the last half century. Having come to Bengaluru as a young man in search of a life in the early 1960s, he discovered the artist in himself in the city and developed with it in the years and decades that followed. Many cities are identified by the artists and writers who live there and enrich the cultural environment with their work. Artists also draw inspiration for their work from the life around them and transform these experiences into works that go beyond the stamp of place and mark of time. Bengaluru has a number of Arakkal’s installations which are reminders of his long association with the city. He trained as an artist, worked and lived in the city. The city and the state also honoured him for the great contribution he made to enrich the people’s lives.

Arakkal had to struggle in his early life to find a place in the world of art and even in life. The years of struggle honed his talents and the strength gained from those days sustained him. He was among the few artists from Bengaluru who rose to national eminence and won international attention. His interests and talents were diverse, and he distinguished himself not only as a painter, but also as a sculptor, muralist, printmaker and poet. The medium and materials he used were also diverse, ranging from terra cotta to bronze, granite, steel and fibre glass. The urge for experimentation and innovation and a sense of perfection always marked his art. He was also an author who wrote extensively on art. The important highlight of all his art was his engagement with society and his keen response to social and even political issues which made it creative explorations of the world, near and far, around him. He was also involved in contemporary issues of interest and concern, like wildlife protection. There have been few others with such versatility of interests and genius.

Arakkal has exhibited his work all over the country as well as abroad and earned recognition. He also won honours from the Karnataka Lalit Kala Academy and the central Lalit Kala Akademi. The Raja Ravi Varma award of the Kerala government and the gold medal from the Florence Biennale were other major prizes of high recognition. He was also an enthusiastic collector and a source of encouragement and support for young artists. The gallery he set up in Bengaluru is an important centre of art. Arakkal’s absence will be deeply felt.