Bikaner House, New Delhi, Hosts 3 series of work, from Horses to Life in Karnataka, for its recent exhibition
Opening on Saturday at Bikaner House is Equus & Other Stories by versatile artist M. Narayan and curated by art historian and scholar Uma Nair. The exhibition will take place at CCA Bikaner House, Pandara Road from 1st March 2025 and will stay on display till 9th March 2025.
M. Narayan’s focus on Equus & Other Stories
Equus is the Latin word that denotes the genus of Horses. With the ouvre of the Artist, the name of the exhibition fits perfectly. The Polo series is one of M. Narayan’s prominent body of works which depict his passion for horses. He portrays galloping horses and polo players in a charcoal drawing. Using expressionist strokes, swabs of opaque colours and fierce charcoal lines, Narayan captures the power and speed as though watching a live polo match. With a strong sense for colour and a steady hand in composition, his paintings inspired by the regal sport polo have been a tremendous success.
While many artists are at a loss for subjects to paint, M. Narayan knows no such difficulties. As an enthusiastic traveller, and horse lover, he ventures to equine-specific locations to investigate natural marvels in the sport amidst the expansive sky which blankets all the action.
Working with color and Monochrome in M. Narayan’s work
Narayan’s show in Bikaner is divided into 3 series. The Equus series of paintings and drawings are both in colour and monochrome. The second set is the Kerala series created by Narayan according to his memories of a visit to Kerala after being sent by Amitabh Kant. The third series is the Karnataka series and Narayan’s portrait of Kempamma Devi is a stirring work created in color and monochrome.
Narayan painted the rural fabric of the people of his state, Karnataka, in one of the series and re-addressed the subject matter in the paintings of Kerala as well.
The Curator of the show, Uma Nair, on the practice of the Artist said “ Introduced to Kerala and its cultural rootedness, Narayan’s monochromatic as well as colored studies of Kathakali and Theyyam bring forth the importance of nuanced expressions and narratives. We are invited into the abhinaya sangeetam of Kathakali, the blend of raga and bhava. We are drawn into the exploration of the unique musical tradition of Kathakali, focusing on its distinct use of ragas, emotional expression (bhava), and structural frameworks. His Karnataka series too is a study in rural rhythms and love for the relic and the ritual of everyday living.”
Background on M. Narayan and Artist Statement
M. Narayan, originally from Karnataka and now living in Pune, is an artist who has been painting for the past 40 years. His passion for painting horses at polo matches has created a series of paintings and drawings that are robust and relished and full of the motion of strength, vigour and speed.
Narayan stated, “I feel that artists are both insiders as well as outsiders. As an artist, I am an observer as well as a participant. My forms of life are grounded in the game of the moment and the love that humans have for the beauty of horses. The relationship between the horses and the riders has always fascinated me.”
Feature Image Courtesy- Bikaner House, M. Narayan
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