Artistic treat for Dasara tourists in Mysore

Mysore, Sept 29: The cognoscenti of arts are being treated to a wide variety of paintings and art works in this heritage city, gripped by the Dasara fever.

The world of art, presented by the students of Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts (CAVA) here in the premises of Kalamandira as part of the festivities, received overwhelming response.

The paintings and art works with contemporary and modern themes have added to the other attractions offered by the city, bustling with a vivid range of activities, cultural and entertainment programmes, and illumination of heritage buildings.

The CAVA artists have created unique artefacts using live models.

One of the eye-catching creations was that of inter-caste marriage in the eyes of society, artistically demonstrated using two trees.

One tree, clad in white dhoti, symbolised the male, while the female was depicted by another tree, draped in a colourful saree. Between the trees was the 'agnikunda', which instead of the blazing homa fire contained a lush green plant.

Artist Shivananda Shyagoti told sources that his untitled creation shed light on the malady of casteism. The fully covered trees indicate the feelings of the inter-caste couple which remain concealed in their hearts. ''The rest I have left to the imagination of the viewers.'' There were also paintings, depicting exploitation of women, based on Sara Aboobaker's fiction, and overloading of children in autorickshaws. Paper boats streaming down the length of a tree was an imaginative creation of Bharat Kumar.

Another piece of art was a gigantic model of an ant under a dish antenna, which according to the artist Vijaya, depicted the human desire to attain what he does not have, amounting to chasing a mirage throughout his life.

An ancient doorway, an imitation of an exquisitely carved wooden structure, with footwear placed outside, depicted Indian customs, a creation by artist Vijay.

A painting with the message 'Animals are my friends, I cannot eat them' showed human babies in the place of dressed chicken, and a chicken's journey from a poultry farm to a slaughter house to the dining table. It proved to be an instant hit and attracted a lot of attention.

To encourage the inner urge of children to scribble, visiting kids were invited to paint on a canvas placed for this purpose.

UNI