Two sides of a stroke

KOCHI: Gopika Babu and K Devika Babu may be twins who learnt art under the same teacher, but their languages are visibly different. But what does bring them together, is the fact that they both like to talk about current affairs — environmental degradation, global warming, political upheavals, and the plight of the common man. “Our artworks are as varied as our personality. While Gopika is outspoken, I am more of the silent empath,” says Devika.

Art and politics
Gopika is a sociology student at the Miranda House University Of Delhi and is active in campus politics. “It was after joining a student’s political wing in college that I resumed painting. I was concentrating more on my writing till then. Earlier, I believed art should be realistic and I strived to paint as realistically as possible, chasing after perfection,” Gopika explains. But her art has gone through an evolution and she is now experimenting with digital art.

Her art bleeds red as it tells the story of the common man, Covid warriors and migrants labourers fighting for life. A brief account of the world around us. The use of red in her art is symbolic of strong political undertones. “There’s no apolitical art. What we decide to put in the frame and what we leave out is a political decision,” Gopika says.

The beauty in all
For Devika, art is a therapeutic experience. “I used to be more rigid with my work — adamant about achieving precision and perfection. But when I started experimenting with watercolour and digital art, I started breaking free,” she says. A zoology student at Hansraj College, Devika is passionate about her subjects, which shows in what she draws. Her works extensively touch upon environmental issues. Unlike Gopika, who can create more spontaneously, Devika likes to take her time, put her thoughts on canvas only after getting her thoughts in order. 

Up close
The twins, however, agree that painting together is a bad idea — something they learnt the bad way. “We always end up fighting,” quips the duo.