Dialogues on sand and colour

EVERY day, the walls of Lalit Kala Akademi in Thousand Lights witness a rotation of creative expressions — paintings, sculptures, and photographs by novices and veterans alike, displayed for enthusiasts to see, experience, and sometimes, even take home.

- RAKSHITHA PRIYA G

But over the weekend, the gallery carried the lingering soul of nature through 50-plus mixed-media canvases created by Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik. The three-day exhibition, Nature's Rhythm: Sand and Sublime, was inaugurated by Dr Ezhilan Naganathan, MLA, and Trotsky Marudhu, chairman of Government Film and Television Training Institute, on Friday. The inauguration was also graced by various socialites and film personalities.

For decades, Sudarsan has used the shores as his open-air gallery. Waves rose and fell around his masterpieces — portraits of gods, echoes of culture, and calls for social change. But this exhibition represents a rare evolution. He said that the idea was born from a simple yet profound request. "Many of my fans told me, 'Why not make something we can keep with us?' Even Sudha Murty once said the same," he recalls. "I thought, why not combine the two parts of my life—painting and sand—to create something that stays?"