20 December,2010 08:54 AM IST | | Namita Gupta
KK Raghava has a new found love for nature and animals, which he transcends onto the canvas. Here's how
It's been two years since Raghava bade his hometown goodbye to explore new grounds. Read MiD DAY article on https://tinyurl.com/yasfccl before his NYC sojourn, who has now had almost every world political bigwig applaud his brush strokes.
But Wikipedia still reads: 'KK Raghava (b. Bangalore, India, 1980), also known as Raghava KK, Raghava KK, is a contemporary artist living and working in Bangalore, India, who is best known for his early style of painting, in which he created large watercolour on canvas paintings using his hands and feet', which might be wrong, but in our hearts, Raghava still lives in Bangalore. Back from Brooklyn, New York after a hiatus, for his exhibition, Raghava demystifies his latest collection 'The Last Child in the Woods'.
| KK Raghava and wife Netra Srikant pose with a painting from his new collection The Last Child in the Woods |
In your latest art collection 'The Last Child in the Woods' you represent the relationship between animals and nature or is it the dying relationship between the two?
This series represents our dying relationship with animals and nature. The gentrification of urban spaces has caused us to isolate ourselves from animals and nature. Pet animals and paintings of fauna find their way into our homes as mere tokens from the animal kingdom. As I watch my children, I notice that they have a natural affinity for nature and animals and I often think how we unlearn our connection with the animal kingdom as we grow.
Why have you named it 'The Last Child in the Woods'?
When I was collaborating with renowned farm-to-table chef Dan Barber, he gifted me a very inspiring book called The Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv that talks about the modern children's lost connection with nature. The book left a strong impression on me, especially since I live in the middle of a huge urban space.
Your art is edgy, yet there's a thin line between real and imaginary. Do you view it as easy to comprehend or is it all entangled?
I feel that it is important to be at the forefront of my field and of my generation. However, I also feel a great sense of responsibility to communicate with my audience.u00a0 Therefore, this series is both edgy and whimsical. I believe that after all, the most powerful art is art that makes you both laugh and think.
These paintings sometimes reflect self-conflict and juxtaposition of thoughts. What is your perception about this latest collection?
A lot of my work involves introspection.u00a0 I don't believe in taking anything as given.u00a0 I believe in questioning and re-contextualizing myself.u00a0 This collection is layered with stories, myths, magic, and secrets, each of which in itself does not reveal the complete meaning of the work.
Your move to NYC from Bangalore was a bold step since you were soon emerging as one of the hottest artists on the Indian scene. Do you think you made the right move?
Although I moved to NY, I make it a point to come here every year and retain my ties here. New York has been amazing. I believe it's the toughest city in the world to live in. They say it filters out the weak. You live and die many deaths in New York. It is an amazing place in which to lose all contexts and evaluate yourself.
In its rigour, it has brought out the best in me. I have managed in this last year and a half, to make significant advances in both my artwork and my career, from incorporating the rawness and graffiti of the urban aesthetic into my art to presenting my philosophy of art at TED, BBC, CNN, Carnegie Mellon University, NYU, etc.
At Kynkyny Art Gallery, 104 Embassy Square, 148 Infantry Road (above Ganjam),
On till January 14, Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm
Call 4092 6202.
