Life in black and white

KOCHI: Nothing is optimistic about 61-year-old artist Vincent S’s work. They’re realistic, portraying some of the cruelest creatures in the universe - Homo sapians. In an anarchic and disturbing world, Vincent strives to reveal what we already know, but conveniently wish to ignore. The artist does not label his work either. Perhaps to let the viewer delve further into the chaos. Characterised by squiggles, dots, lines and bizarre shapes of black ink, Vincent, in what he terms his ‘second coming’ or newfound mission, expresses his exasperated psyche through his art. For the same, he recently won the Kerala LalithaKala Akademi Award.

Hailing from a small village Kanjiramkulam, around 30 minutes away from Thiruvananthapuram, Vincent studied Malayalam Literature from University College before pursuing arts. After a Bachelor’s degree from College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, he ended up publishing a collection of short stories and poems, followed by grants for solo art exhibitions. 

In 1990, Vincent began the Ananda Kala Kendram in Kanjiramkulam, an institution wholly dedicated to inculcating painting and sculpture techniques from a younger age, whilst providing holistic perceptions. On a mission to spread art in rural areas, Vincent wholly believes that villages and interior regions contain life, culture, love and kindness that must be sustained through such initiatives. 

However, a few years into marriage, he was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease which left him helpless for almost 20 years. The Vincent that returned in 2014 was a changed man. He enrolled at his alma mater for a master’s degree. “Life couldn’t be more different. I’ve felt a certain responsibility to call people out. A change in my artistic sensibilities which is conveyed on paper depending on my state of mind and current affairs has led me to work distinctly,” says Vincent.

With almost zero white space and smudged lines, Vincent’s work is a reflection of what he has gone through. Destruction is evident, the monstrosity humans have inflicted on each other, along with ravaging nature. According to Vincent, he has developed a visual language to ‘portray and question humans’. And according to viewers, his artwork is a fine example of what he sees through his inner eye.
Check out his work on Instagram @svincent_official