Artists from Chithrakala Academy at their 44th annual art exhibition in Coimbatore
| Photo Credit: SIVA SARAVANAN S
Artist V Jeevananthan walks with a spring in his step. He pauses to talk to a visitor; laughs at someone’s joke; poses for a photograph; offers a video interview in his booming voice, glancing at the paintings in the gallery every once in a while. He and his artist friends at Chithrakala Academy have been waiting for this day for six years now. They have organised their annual art show — their 44th — after a long gap and their enthusiasm is palpable at Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery in the city.The show features two works each by 33 participating artists, all of whom have their roots in Coimbatore. “Selling is only secondary,” says Jeeva, who is the academy’s president. He adds, “It’s enough if we get the opportunity to display our work and spark discussions.” This sense of contentment with their work is the underlying philosophy of Chithrakala Academy, the first institute in the city to bring people together for art. It has embraced, trained, and offered exposure to artists across ages since 1978 expecting nothing much in return.
An artwork on display at Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery in Coimbatore
