A Krishnan exhibits his papier-mâché works at an exhibition in Coimbatore

A Krishnan spent the last three months shut in his room. He was busy making paper sculptures for his first solo exhibition organised by Artrendz Art Gallery. “I made 20 pieces in that span of time. The technique is called papier-mâché and I wanted to give my best,” says the Puducherry-based artiste.

He developed his love for art as a young boy. “My uncle ran a business of painting commercial boards. I began helping him. Later, I did a diploma in pencil drawing and also experimented with oil painting for a few years.” He now works as a Fine Arts teacher in a Government school in Puducherry and is pursing his BFA.

He was introduced to papier mâché by one of his colleagues, Anbazhagan. “We are a part of an association called Putiya Thoorigaikal that conducts summer camps in Puducherry. In 2005, we wanted to do something different. Anbazhagan suggested that we create paper sculptures and also taught us the basics. I have been experimenting with it for the past 14 years,” he says.

His first sculpture was of a couple from a village. “Most of my works are based on scenes from villages or traditional art forms. I hope my works will be a reminder of our rich heritage to the current generation.”

Krishnan’s works has evolved over the years. “I used to make sculptures of six foot height initially. Now most of my works are one feet high only. I have a few that are three feet as well. Smaller works are easy to transport and maintain. I think I improved in perfecting the human anatomy over these years. Earlier, I used multiple colours in my works. Now I stick to a golden shade. It gives an antique metallic feel to my sculptures and is now my signature style,” he says.

Krishnan uses bamboo sticks as a base for his works. “I tie them together to construct a basic form. Multiple layers of old newspapers are then stuck to it with glue. It takes three kg of newspaper to form a sculpture that is of one and a half feet tall. I later carve it and paint it,” he says. The time taken to make a paper sculpture is depended on the climate. “If it is summer, the gum dries up easily and it takes only two days. It takes much longer during monsoon,” he says.

While most of his works are based on photographs that he takes during his travels he also makes sculptures out of his imagination. He shows me a work that shows a man carrying his child on his shoulder. “I did this for the last Father’s Day as a tribute to my father. We are very close and so, this work is very close to my heart.”

Another one of his favourite works is a three feet tall Iyyanar. “He is our family deity and I wanted to make this sculpture for the past 10 years. For some reason, it did not happen till last April. It is a dream come true.”