Prussian Blue Art Hub celebrates 15 years with an annual show, Timepiece

Prussian Blue Art Hub's 15th anniversary show, Timepiece, showcases diverse paintings interpreting the theme of time uniquely.

Prussian Blue Art Hub’s annual show to commemorate its 15th anniversary is a joyous collection of paintings. From artist Karthika Kathirvel Pandian’s portraits of her children’s faces, radiant with laughter to Anoop Anilkumar’s canvases of an elderly man and woman on a quotidian Tamil Nadu streetside, the paintings cover a gamut of human experiences, situations and landscapes.

 Timepiece, which features the works of 15 artists, is a celebration of the journey of the gallery, says artist Suresh TR, its founder. While the theme of the show is time, artists have interpreted it in unique ways, styles and treatment. 

Sumayya Azeez’s work seems to indicate how time can stand still when you look at a field full of flowers in bloom. Beyond a bed of red flowers are grey fields that gradually merge with a black sky filled with white clouds. The only colours used are red, white black and grey. Her other painting is also in the same colour scheme, a stunning visual representation of a city in ruin — broken buildings, fused concrete and metal against a blood red sky. 

Lolitha Nair’s paintings of a coffee plantation shows how the colours stand apart in an aerial view. “Time is both an anchor and muse here. Though it is the central theme, artists have taken the liberty to explore it in their own ways,” says Suresh. 

While offering a space for aspiring artists to hone their skill and learn basic techniques, Prussian Blue Art Hub has mentored a number of artists in the past 15 years. “I won’t call it an art school; it is a space which artists can use to perfect their craft,” Suresh adds.

An artist for over 35 years, Suresh launched Prussian Blue as a democratic space for emerging artists to showcase their works. “Finding a platform is one of the biggest challenges for someone who is not established in the industry. I wanted to create a space where anyone, from a student to a known name, can exhibit his or her works,” Suresh says.

Smaller in scale (2ft by 2ft), the paintings, especially commissioned for the show, are on sale (₹15,000 upwards). While the first part of the show features two works of each artist, the second part, which is set to start in February, will display the works of a different set of artists.