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<\/picture><\/div>\nArtist Roy Thomas\u2019 exhibition Deep Within seems to be curiously well timed. Kochi has just experienced a cloudburst followed by a week of incessant rain and the nation is in the throes of a political realignment. The large paintings that depict historical monuments, sculptures and renowned works of art submerged in the ocean, present a dramatic view of climate change. \u201cShowing the works in a highly aware State such as Kerala, viewers perceive the works politically as well,\u201d says the Delhi-based artist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Serene Gaze, a painting that shows a sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi sitting in meditation, submerged, is being compared to Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s visit and meditation at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. \u201cThis is an old work, but for the viewers, it resonates with the current political scenario,\u201d says Roy. <\/p>\n
Featuring 25 oil paintings, the series reflects a common theme. Roy re-imagines classic sculptures from the Renaissance to the modern times through the prism of climate change. Michelangelo\u2019s La Pieta and Moses, Rodin\u2019s The Thinker, Statue of Liberty and India\u2019s iconic Pillars of Ashoka are seen submerged in the ocean. <\/p>\n
![\"Artist](\"https:\/\/th-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/o3rfez\/article68258015.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/10018_5_6_2024_15_48_7_2_ROY_02.JPG\" "\\"Artist")
<\/div>\n\nArtist Roy Thomas\u2019 show Deep Within at Durbar Hall Art Gallery
\n| Photo Credit:
\nTHULASI KAKKAT\n<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n The series, which he has been working on for over four-and-a-half years, was was exhibited in Delhi in November 2023. The series was sparked by an article that discussed an apocalyptic vision of the Statue of Liberty sinking, given the rate at which New York City was sinking every year. \u201cThe idea planted a seed in my head and I started work on the series,\u201d he adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n The series was also an exploration into the unknown. \u201cIt was only when I started working on the paintings that I realised that painting a scene underwater was more challenging than I thought,\u201d says Roy.\u00a0 Each painting has a different blue, ranging from a greenish blue to teal depending on the role light plays in each frame. \u201cI also dug into my childhood memories of having dived into ponds and rivers. At the end of the day, my focus as an artist is to create a good painting,\u201d he adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n The paintings are rather direct, \u201cone would not wonder what the painting means,\u201d Roy adds. Living in a world that is teetering on the edge of a global climate crisis, Roy\u2019s works make one ponder over the relevance of historical monuments, sculptures and objects and whether man can recreate these.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n An artist for over three decades, Roy says he is driven by a sense of curiosity, rather than creating his own style. Roy has been specialising in oil paintings, which he believes, suit his temperament \u2014 \u201cit is slow and gives you an opportunity to start afresh each time,\u201d he says, compared to the nature of acrylic that requires one to take decisions faster. \u201cI like to mull over my work, visiting and revisiting, correcting and adjusting a painting until it is the way I want it to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy, a native of Pala, who has been teaching and practising art in Delhi for the past 34 years, has conducted several solo shows and participated in a number of exhibitions in various cities in India and other parts of the world. <\/p>\n \u00a0![\"\"](\"https:\/\/th-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/uc89cd\/article68258016.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/10018_5_6_2024_15_48_6_1_ROY_01.JPG\")
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\nDeep Within <\/i>at Durbar Hall Art Gallery concludes on June 7.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n