Ratheesh T
Allotted Land
2018
Oil on canvas
182 x 306 cm
The geographical source of the imagery in Ratheesh's paintings is undoubtedly Kerala, the lush green vegetation of this tropical state of west-coast India, and the dark complexion of its people. A second look reveals that's not what the paintings are really about. Kerala is certainly present here, but the true location of these works is elusive. One would be misled if one were to look out too literally for cartographic pointers.
Ratheesh's whole venture far outstrips notions of genre – it is bigger, broader, inclusive of contemplations that strictly genre works would not be able to accommodate. The sheer excess of fascinating visual material offered us – each detail worked on with incredible enjoyment and control – defeats any simple moralistic interpretation.
Born in Kilimanoor, Kerala, Ratheesh T received his BFA at the College of Fine Arts in Trivandrum and was invited to the UK on a Royal Over-Seas League Scholarship in 2004. He has held solo exhibitions in Mumbai and Berlin, and has been part of several group exhibitions in India and internationally, including London, Amsterdam, Switzerland and Germany. In 2012, his works were part of the Kochi Muziris Biennale in Kochi, as well as the 5th Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale in Japan in 2014. His works are a part of the public collection of the Fukuoka Museum of Art in Japan. The artist lives and works in Trivandrum.
Courtesy of ocula.com, saffronart.com