Bakula Nayak’s love affair with old Bengaluru, in particular, Rajajinagar, the area she grew up in, intensifies with each passing day. Just like the colours in her art.
“I am not against development but all I want for people to be aware of is the history of the place, they live in, engage with each other, know their surroundings. It is so much fun,” says Bakula, a couple of minutes before her presentation at Swish Apartment Complex Phoenix Kessaku, last week. While she revealed the unknown stories of Rajajinagar through her illustrations, singer Sinchan Dixit rendered songs like ‘Baanigondu Elle Ellide’ from Premada Kanike, ‘Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le’ from Sadma and ‘Neerabittu Nelada Mele Doni Sagadu’ from Hombisilu recreating the old world charm.
Bakula works on two series simultaneously – ‘Unplugged’ and ‘Confessions of a Love-a-holic’ and an exhibition of works from the latter are on display at the venue till March 8. Tea cups and tea pots, birdie, parrots, old theatre tickets and lots of flowers and greenery thrown in, form the imagery of her paintings. In Bakula’s works, her canvas – old yellowing vintage paper becomes a strong metaphor and here too, she chooses a paper bearing Kannada text to form a potent background.
A 1999 film ticket of Abhinay Theatre in Majestic is part of a work titled ‘Star Struck’ with two bespectacled owls perched atop two showreels. On her Instagram handle, Bakula has posted this picture asking people to tell the funny sign in the atrium of the theatre. Whosoever gets it right, will get a little birdie from Bakula. “I grew up in Rajajinagar in a nuclear family. As I didn’t have an extended family, the area became my lifeline. I would learn to draw rangolis from the ladies in my neighbourhood. I remember seeing a woman, every week, wearing her silk and sitting in the verandah for the artist to do her portrait. I addressed all the aunties as Christian auntie, Muslim auntie and it was normal. Can you think of doing that now?,” asks the artist.
Tea cake from her favourite Variar Bakery also finds a way into her canvas. “When I was in the US, I remember buying sponge cake and rusk in bulk and taking it along.”
- Rajajinagar was reportedly planned as the new ‘Industrial Suburb’ by the Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Bahadur
The memories of playing in neighbourhood parks, going to Bal Bhawan for art classes enrich her narrative. “I remember Rumale Channabasavaiah, who is referred to as Van Gogh of India, once painted the same view that I had while going to the school. Such memories and people help me find my place in the Universe. I miss all this for my kids. Rajajinagar offers the best of both the worlds. If you have a glitzy hotel then you also have a pillar telling you all about its history or if you have a swanky mall, then you have a nondescript Rumale Art Museum.”
Like the city, her art has also evolved. When she started, the works were dominated by lines but with passage of time, it has become lucid and more free. “There are more colours. It still is very controlled but I would like it to be even more free.”