An imposing installation of barbed wires in the form of a wave on a layer of sand welcomed visitors at the art exhibition ‘Graduation-2019’ at Andhra University’s Fine Arts Department. Titled ‘Struggles’ the installation is made by Vijaysurya Vemavarrapu, a final year student of BFA. “I belong to the fishermen community, so I know the dangers that await these men at sea. I intentionally used barbed wire which is a symbol of danger,” he explained.
Over 250 works by 30 final year students of BFA and MFA featured at the event.
Calling these exhibitions an important facet of art education, Kattukari Ravi their professor and an artist himself believes, “Exhibitions teach the students the ways of selling art.” He adds that the annual graduation exhibition has been attracting a growing number of visitors which bodes well for the artists.
The students have experimented with various mediums like copper plates, bronze, wood and tar for their sculptures and art installations.
While that might not have been the plan, a theme of struggle emerges in the works of art. The paintings and sculptures are of farmers, fishermen and rural women.“Most of the students come from a rural background and have seen struggle first hand and this reflects in their work. Around 80 % of their work is about living by the sea,” pointed out Ravi.
Dakshayani pinned up 12 cloth pouches on to a board that was coloured in shades of green, blue and white. On each of these pouches was a portrait in black of a woman. The installation represented the financial struggle of rural women, explained Dakshayani.
“These little change pouches are called Chikkam in Telugu; I tried the Linocut technique (printing technique) on cloth instead of the usual paper.”