“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” ~ Edgar Degas
I have always been fascinated by paintings, not for any other but the very fact that it beautifies any space it rest. How lame, right?
That was then.
Now, I have begun to appreciate every painting as a piece of who the artist is, each piece irreplaceable and unique in every way. I realized how the painter is the channel and his painting a message to the world.
What changed my mind? I was introduced to an amazing artist who has taken up a social cause through his beautiful art. What’s more? He has mastered picturesque painting stroked with watercolors!
A brilliant artist with impeccable technique and an unmissable ambiance, meet the gifted artist- K. Free Themreichan.
Not only is he talented but (ahemmm) handsome too! But sadly, ladies, he is taken.
Themreichan has Masters degree in Fine Arts Painting from College of Arts Delhi. He has had 4 exhibitions till date:
– Camlin Art 2011
– 53th National Exhibition of Art
– State Kala Academy Manipur 2010
– State Kala Academy Manipur 2009
Today, we have some of his collection from his project “Village life”, some of which were showcased and sold at Hornbill Festival 2014. (I also managed to juice out some comments from him. Read on)
His Inspiration
“I was born and brought up on the picturesque hills of Manipur. Growing up in nature’s lap left a deep fondness for nature. When started out I was inspired by the impressionist.”
But, there is more to it than this.
He is grim on preserving our culture with his art as he explains-
“Being one of the first artists in my community I too have great responsibilities of preserving and bringing awareness about the culture of my people.”
“I’ve worked on series of Naga’s culture, portraits and traditional art. I’ve experimented with new techniques to find out the most effective ways of showcasing traditional arts.“
So what is this Village Project all about?
“With this project, I am taking water color as the medium. It is a series on the surroundings, lifestyle and daily chores of Tangkhul Nagas in small villages.“
Unbelievable right? Most of us probably thought this was a picture edited with an app to look like a painting. I did too. But, oh how mistaken are we!
And knowing that he is doing it to preserve our roots made me more attached to these images.
The finesse and the strikingly similar resemblance to realism gave me goosebumps.
It flooded me with nostalgia, of home I have left, the fresh clean mountains I am deprived of and my childhood days in my humble home!
As Marc Chagall says “Great art picks up where nature ends” , if these pieces are not great art, I don’t know what is. I have nothing but awe for the painter.
Hopefully, we will be seeing more of his work but for now, this is all. You can add the artist on FaceBook here- Themreichan Kasom.
Do not forget to share.
