Gunasekar Jeyapal’s Sculptures Report on the Government’s Inadequacies

Meet Artist of the Week – Gunasekar Jeyapal

Gunasekar Jeyapal (b. 10th May 1985) is our Artist of the Week. The 39-year-old artist completed his BFA (2009-2013) and MFA (2014-2016) in sculpture from the Government College of Fine Arts, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.

Gunasekar Jeyapal’s Early Life and Career

Jeyapal was born and raised in the southern region of Tamil Nadu. The language, culture, and traditions made him gravitate towards it at an early age. The bustling locations –markets, railway stations, and bus terminals— were a lesson to him in the observation of human anatomy, facial expressions, and people’s lifestyles. He later sketched them, making them into sculptures. 

Gunasekar Jeyapal also created sculptures of dancers and musicians, mimicking the religious sculptures in his way. During his postgraduates, he studied nature, stumbling upon the realization that all living beings hold prominence and meaning. It was a perfect path from their gestural vocabulary to their lives, and later on a social comparison with other living beings. 

Gunasekar Jeyapal’s Life In The City

Soon he moved to Chennai for work. Jeyapal found the city life chaotic and unfulfilling; a stark contrast from his hometown. However, he found solace at Marina Beach Road, where he found a crow’s nest. It was peculiar to him as crows often nest in trees, but had adapted to the traffic signal out of necessity. In many ways, people, adapted to city life out of necessity. This instance inspired his sculpture ‘Life In The City.’

Gunasekar Jeyapal’s Art Style and Aesthetics

Gunasekar Jeyapal’s art is a homage to the natural surroundings. The pain in his sculptures narrates his journey through provocative emotions. His sculptures are layered with nature, animals, and human beings, displaying the shared emotional connections.

He is dismayed at the recent rise of capitalism. He isn’t fond of mass-produced sculptures created for specific intentions; rather, he believes that they should occupy their own space and express emotional ebb and flow. Primarily, Gunasekar Jeyapal works with terracotta, stone, metal, and mixed media, exploring forms and textures.

Gunasekar Jeyapal’s Motivated to Myself

Gunasekar Jeyapal’s Motivated to Myself refers to the natural slopes and design, which power the societal structure. The clay sculpture depicts the way wasps construct their homes; exuding elegance and beauty. He was especially mesmerised by the precision with which they make their clay nests, without relying on modern technology.

Gunasekar Jeyapal’s Life In The City III

The 2015 Chennai floods inspired Life In The City III. Several locals had lost their jobs, belongings, and homes, all thanks to urban development, rapid industrial expansion, ineffective drainage, and gentrification. You can see how despondent and tense the figures in his creation look.

Gunasekar Jeyapal’s Temple Series

Gunasekar Jeyapal’s Temple Series is an ode to the temples of Tamil Nadu, standing tall with their Chola-era temples architecture and layout. One can see myriad similarities between this sculpture and three temples, namely, the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur, the Darasuram Airavadeeswarar Temple, and the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple. Despite the current scientific technology, these temples cannot be recreated, much like the artworks in the Temple Series.

Gunasekar Jeyapal’s Accolades?

Gunasekar Jeyapal received a Grand Research Scholarship from Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 2019-20. He has exhibited in numerous group exhibitions (Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Coimbatore, Tanjore, Madurai, and Kumbakonam). His sculptures are a permanent fixture at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai; Hyderabad Art Society, Hyderabad; and Bombay Art Society, Mumbai.

Image – Gunasekar Jeyapal. Life In The City II (2020). Bronze and Wood, 36x15x12 in. Courtesy – Abir Space