At an early age, Mahesh MK realised that art does not predicate upon language for “communication”. As a child drawn to painting, he would ask the opinion of his mother, Kusumakumari, whenever he finished a work. Born speech- and hearing-challenged, Mahesh gradually began to “speak to and listen to the world” through his brushstrokes.
“During primary school, Mahesh used to come out on top in art competitions. We encouraged his talent and he began taking art lessons from class 7. After SSLC (class 10), he resolved to devote his time completely for painting,” says Kusumakumari, speaking for her son, a native of Thevally in Kollam.
Mahesh initially focussed on “nature paintings” in water colours and acrylic and, as he became adept at using oil paint, the artist expanded his canvas and branched out to doing meticulous re-productions of the works of Raja Ravi Varma. But for the past 10 years, he has been painting more in the style of murals of Kerala and those became the centrepiece of his artistic life. Ameyam, an ongoing exhibition and sale of his paintings in acrylic at the Museum Art Gallery in the city, puts on display a selection of about 35 mural-like paintings that speak volumes about his brushstrokes.
Lord Krishna and his “faces, avatars and life” form the cornerstone of most of the pieces. There’s one painting depicting the “Lord Shiva family” while another is based on Vyloppilly Sreedhara Menon’s famous poem Mambazham. “I had described to Mahesh the idea for the ‘Mambazham’ painting and left the rest to his imagination and interpretation. We all were surprised to see how well the work turned out to be,” says Kusumakumari, a former school teacher.
- The exhibition came alive after two city-based lawyers — Bindu Gopinath and her colleague J Sandhya — took the initiative to help Mahesh find a platform to exhibit his works. “Mahesh is a client of ours who had approached us regarding a legal matter. Kusumakumari once mentioned about her son’s talent for painting and how he has been keeping his works to himself for a lack of exposure,” says Bindu. She then requested Mahesh to send pictures of his paintings on WhatsApp and the lawyers were struck by the quality the works. The duo then forwarded the photos to artist B D Dattan, who was impressed by Mahesh’s flair and, soon got in touch with the Museum director to check the possibility of organising an exhibition. “In fact, as a goodwill gesture, the authorities eventually decided to provide the venue free of cost,” adds Bindu.
Other works in the collection include a deft piece on the concept of Ardhanareeswara and another depicting tribespeople involved in the trade of coir basket manufacturing. Perhaps, the highlight is the Dasavatharam series, depicting the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu. Mahesh says he learnt the techniques of mural paintings while studying under artist Prince Thonnakkal.
Ameyam, which means “infinite”, is the first exhibition by 45-year-old Mahesh, who holds a diploma in Art and Drawing. “We have titled the show so to highlight the infinite potential of the human mind, which transcends the barrier of language,” explains Kusumakumari. Mahesh’s father, Madanan Nair, is a former accountant.
Ameyam, which opened on Tuesday, also showcases fabric art depicting Krishna on saris done by Mahesh’s wife, Smitha R, a Chethala-native who too is speech- and hearing-challenged. Kusumakumari says the family believes it is “god’s will” when they realised Smitha possessed latent artistic talent and dreams of her own when she became part of the family.
“We didn’t really know that painting was Smitha’s passion until after their marriage. She started honing her skills with the help of Mahesh. They speak the same language,” says the mother. The couple have a six-year-old son, Bhavesh MS.
Mahesh conveys that he’s not much conversant in the sign language, having studied in a regular school, while Smitha, who went to a special school, is quite proficient. Mahesh, who loves to teach, takes “informal” art classes for children at his home to make ends meet.
Despite the challenges, the couple says they are “happy” in the world of colours and canvases. “When I paint, the painting is the only thing I see. I’m able to forget everything else,” says Mahesh, with the help of his mother.
‘Ameyam’ is on at the Museum Art Gallery till February 11. Timing: 10 am to 6.30 pm