Chennai: Poems come to life in paintings at Forum Art Gallery

Poetry is often enjoyed with a healthy side of imagination. However, picturing words as images is a skill not everybody possesses. Some of us are visual learners, and if you fall under this category, head to Forum Art Gallery where art exhibitionSamarpanam is on display. 

This unique showcase features paintings by Thejomaye Menon, inspired by poems from Jyothi Ganesh’s book of the same name. Each artwork offers a visual interpretation of a poem, creating a dialogue between the written word and visual art.

On the ground floor of the art gallery, with paintings all around, a crowd had gathered on April 8 for the opening of the exhibition, that also featured an evening of slam poetry. Thejomaye and Jyothi sat in front of the audience while the poems were read out with dramatic flair. Instead of just listening , the audience was asked to look at the artwork inspired by the poetry.

“Thejo and I have been friends for a long time, and I asked her a few months back if she would be interested in bringing alive my poems as paintings. She readily took up the offer,” said Jyothi, adding that the idea for this project came from her personal experience of visualising her previously written poems as raagas. 

One captivating piece, Lotus, depicts the poem’s words: “Blossoming in muddied mired waters, long stalked buds opening to the first rays of the sun, at dawn.” Jyothi’s evocative language is brought to life through Thejomaye’s brushstrokes showing lotuses in water and a ray of warm sunlight upon them. 

“She (Thejomaye) has taken off in a different direction, deviating from her usual style, , and interpreted them in her own way. The artist should have the liberty to do that,” said Jyothi.

“An invisible force guided me through the artistic process, as is the case with many other artists who speak of a gut feeling when it comes to their art,” says Thejomaye.

Another painting, Sunlight, showcases Thejomaye’s artistic vision. Inspired by the words “Light blinding white and stark, characteristically crystal clear,” she portrays both light and darkness, two sides of the same coin. “There is life in sunlight,” she explains, incorporating leaves within the light. 

This exhibition pushes Thejomaye’s boundaries. “As a figurative painter, this is my first entire body of work focussed on one theme,” she says. “It has been challenging to interpret and simplify my thoughts.”

Samarpanam is on display at the Forum Art Gallery, Adyar until May 11.