Indian artist draws inspiration from Scottish culture

New Delhi: He can`t communicate fluently in English but this didn`t come in the way of his creativity and learning during a residency programme in Scotland. What this Chennai-based artist brought back the was the essence of Scottish culture and many memories - now translated into an exhibition in the national capital.Yuvan Bothisathuvar went to Scotland for the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme after he won the “Emerging Artists of the Year 2013". It was a big opportunity for this small-town resident who had started his career as a signboard artist.

His first big exhibition `The Final Illusion` mounted at Art District at Lado Sarai in south Delhi is inspired by Scottish culture and the mysteries of life. "Life is like an illusion. You don`t know if you exist or not," Bothisathuvar philosophised whiel speaking to a news agency. Building on these thoughts, his geometrical works create an illusion, belying your presumptions and defying your expectations with sudden changes of contours and colours. Interestingly, he has also used different material like beads, thread, wood, mirrors and stainless steel to add different layers to the mystic of life. He has used waste paper from recycled magazines and newspapers and in some pieces, has used poster art to blend nostalgia with art. Born in the temple city of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, the 39-year-old communicates his thoughts via a friend who translates English questions for him. So while he set his foot on the foreign land, language was never a barrier to communicate what was going on his mind. "Language doesn`t need to be communicated in the artist`s language. I didn`t know their language, but it was never a barrier. Our common language was art and human bond," he said. This experience has given him a platform he could have never imagined, since signboards artists have lost their jobs because of massive digitisation of film posters and those of political parties. And that is why he feels to be an artist is challenging in India. "Art is yet to reach a stage in India where it gets due recognisition," he concluded. The exhibitions ends July 31.