Veteran artist creates unique visual language

A founding member of the Cholamandal Artists’ Village, M. Senathipathi relies heavily on the mythology and oral traditions of Hinduism for his paintings and metal reliefs. The veteran artist has seen the fluctuating art trends and his creations have stood the test of time. The artist, who is also the current president of the Cholamandal Artists’ Village is holding an exhibition in the city, titled Worlds Within His World at ArtWorld, Teynampet till March 31.

Growing up in a village in Chengalpet district, Senathipathi’s peaceful childhood was instrumental in his foray into the world of art. “Those days, we didn’t have any art equipment. The mud and lime plastered walls of my home and granary were my canvases. Since there was no limitation of a canvas or a sense of boundary, it helped me develop my imagination.  Later, I received a Diploma in Drawing and Painting from the Government College of Arts and Crafts in 1965,” he says.

Known for his acrylic on canvas and ink work on handmade paper, Senathipathi joined the Madras Art Movement that was founded by KCS Paniker, who also founded the artists’ village. “Though the art movement brought modernism to art in south India the artists during that period faced a struggle in procuring art materials. We couldn’t find good quality fine paper and canvas for painting. I used to import paper from London and other places. Even the option available for colours was less when compared to today’s market,” says the artist.

The 78-year-old veteran feels that artists of today’s generation are lucky when compared to the artists from his period. “All the products of the Madras Art Movement worked their way up — there were no easy methods or short cuts or even any fancy pieces of equipment. Now, art has developed into a different level —  there is digital art, installations, mixed media and so on. But one striking difference is that we had a unique style and represented it in a way that no other artist can replicate it easily. But now, a lot of works are being copied,” rues Senathipathi.

The artist loves to travel and during his childhood, he visited Ajanta and Ellora caves, and temples in Puri, Belur and so on. He saw how mythology and artistic expression were woven together. “I’ve been inspired in various ways — right from my childhood days to the Madras Art Movement days. This is my 12th solo show and all the paintings displayed are inspired by mythological stories and human emotions such as love, happiness, anger and so on. Most of the works are abstract-figurative. I have taken the liberty to reinterpret certain famous scenes from the Mahabharata.”