Kalamkari kaleidoscope

Artist Ramesh Gorjala weaves a stirring narrative by fusing traditional art with contemporary forms.

Ganesha, mixed media on canvas

Krishna, mixed media on canvas

Shivalinga, mixed media on canvas

Ramesh Gorjala

His treasured artworks are a sheer atlas of deities and mythological figures, striking in forms and stunning in rendition. Devoted vahanas — the mounts of the venerated gods and goddesses — find rich expression in the media art inspired by kalamkari, at artist Ramesh Gorjala’s recent solo show, titled Vahanas, at Gallery Nvya in Delhi.

“I chose vahanas as they are closely associated with gods. Vahanas are equally important as each one of our Gods is significant. They have always been underplayed and through my artworks, I have tried to contribute to this art form,” says Ramesh, having stroked the figures of the animals and deities in the religious iconography with great flourish, using brilliant ochres and saffron, emerald greens, limpid blues and mango yellows with relish. Symbolic of divine power, the tridents and winged lions form the ode along with elephants, bulls, Garuda and peacocks. He weaves a stirring narrative of traditional Kalamkari with contemporary art forms, making it a perfect blend of both worlds.

Ramesh’s early years amidst the artisans in Andhra Pradesh made him soak up art subconsciously as he grew up surrounded by traditional Kalamkari paintings of mythological characters and stories, created on walls, scrolls and fabrics all around him in his village. “I come of a town called Kalahasi where sculptures on temple walls and beyond speak volumes,” he shares. “As a child, I was fascinated by this visual imagery and storytelling. My first formal attempt to narrate a story through mythological figures in Kalamkari-inspired art came during my master’s in fine arts when I created a story inside a God’s figure. That marked a new beginning for me, of telling stories inside big figures. During the pandemic, I had ample time to experiment with forms and worked on a dimension different from my signature work.”

Visual fluidity

The mixed media acrylic canvas brings in smaller figures shaped with Rotaract pens of different sizes, with the outer figure shading in black acrylic. The primary theme runs in metric colours, marked by intricate detailing and palpable dynamism. Ramesh has painted in acrylic on canvas, tarpaulin and wood to elevate the dimensions. “I did learn the art in my hometown, but have given it my own distinct language in a contemporary narrative,” says Ramesh. “My experiments with different mediums have allowed me to explore diverse dimensions and expand the planes of my craft. The medium becomes an important tool in my storytelling with the dynamism of narration and visual imagery forming the core of my idea and visualisation. I will continue to experiment. But what is next, I don’t know yet.”

Each artwork contains a universe within. The legends, myths, epics and divine forms melt together into a cohesive whole. The signature strokes make way for a circular halo around the head of each form. “It is merely symbolic of my belief that god wears a crown. I design and draw the crown in that form,” he explains. The most challenging part for Ramesh is composing the correct proportion of the figures. “Through my paintings, I can re-colour the old Puranas once again. Many of us have forgotten the Puranas and by seeing this small visual story, we can recollect all the themes of Ramayana and Krishna. A perfect way to narrate the story to children as well,” says Ramesh, inspired by senior artist Ramachandran — who is also traditional in his artwork yet stays contemporary to be able to reach out to young artists. “What I have learnt in this art is that there is no restriction in portraying the figure, as I wish to. For instance, I can depict an elephant by simply creating a trunk. The biggest lesson I have learnt is from Ramachandran sir — by observing his art, I have realised that I can also knead and shape my imagination in different forms.”