Rising from the ashes

KANNUR: February 26, 2020. Hareendran Chalad stood speechless before the burnt paintings and books that were close to his heart. Four decades of work lay in ashes after an accidental fire at his Space Art Gallery in Kannur.

He lost 60 of his paintings, more than 100 books, 20 boxes of paint and around 100 brushes, all devoured by the flames sparked by some welding work while renovating the building.“In terms of money, the loss wasn’t huge. But what I had lost was my life,” Hareendran says.

Two years on, having battled indescribable agony, the artist in him has risen like the mythical phoenix. The 66-year-old is back to where he belongs -- the world of art. In January this year, 35 of his paintings -- most of them abstract and newly done -- were exhibited by the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi in Kozhikode.

“I have left the tragedy behind for good. Whatever happened cannot be reversed. Life should go on,” he says. The Space Art Gallery has also been renovated and is now hosting exhibitions. “The gallery has again become a place for like-minded artists and intellectuals to meet and discuss art, literature and other topics of interest,” Hareendran says. And he has shifted his studio to his house in Chalad.

“Fortunately, I didn’t lose all my works as I had kept some of them at home because of some inconvenience at the art gallery.”The fire had happened when some migrant workers were welding pipes on the roofing structure. “A spark fell on the sheet with which I had covered my paintings, canvases and books collected in one place to facilitate the renovation. I can’t blame the workers as it happened accidentally. Nobody would have thought a spark would destroy almost the entire work of my artistic career,” he says.

Hareendran was devastated. The loss was just too painful for him. Then Covid broke out. “The pandemic added to my frustration as everyone was forced indoors and all cultural activities came to a halt,” he recalls.Though he had enough time to indulge his creativity, he was unable to draw even a line for a year. “The impact of the fire was so deep that I couldn’t hold a brush in my hand properly.”

Friends and acquaintances offered solace, and he slowly returned to drawing as interactions and discussions increased.“In Kannur, there aren’t enough places for artists and intellectuals to meet and share their ideas. I’m happy my gallery provides a space for such discourse,” he says.

Hareendran has held around 20 one-man shows across the country, including in Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.He has also participated in around 50 group exhibitions.

He lives with his wife, Manjula, and children, Harsha and Hirosh.