The classical style of dance renders everything in classicism.There is a story of a tribal magician who had practiced charms in the courts of ancient India during the Period of Vedas; he belonged to the southern mountains and lived along with his wife and son.The story originates as an extreme version of the Indian Classic Mahabharatha and has its own performing version in the classical style in Kathakali,the dance drama.This play is quite well-knit for the stage and charming to the audience especially due to its dramatic stage appearance.As it is told,the main characters are the tribal man and his wife.They are called ‘Malayan’and ‘Malayatthy’ respectively;’Malaya stands for the man of the hills and Malayatthy for the woman.I have watched the play many times on the stage and made attempts to paint them in poster colors during my boyhood while getting in touch with the early lessons in painting on paper.
‘Malaya’ and ‘Malayatthy’ (the Man and Woman of the Hills) in my early poster colors of boyhood
The theme had never a fading effect in my theater experience and later on my teenage I was again caught up with the same and expressed it in a more realistic color scheme…but the forms remained almost the same.Then my attempt was to capture the moods of the couple in more natural way in expression maintaining the classic postures of dancing and drama.Although ,I have tried to ornament them with costumes having enough tribal splendor!
my teenage depiction of the couple in duet
The theme was still with me even after a wide gap of years in my youth and multiple experiences both in life and career.At this time ,I had kept away from the places of performances and concentrated only on my job in administration management.Once I thought of painting a subject, the theme resurrected in my sensibility and I decided to paint the couple in a new attire and style of format.Thus, I painted my latest ‘Performers in Duet’ in oil color on canvas…!
my latest rendering of the ‘Malaya’ couple as ‘The Performers in Duet’ in oil colors
A blush in the blackboard 