An exhibition that aims to capture the violence and atrocities being committed across the world, with a focus on the denial of women’s rights and the agony of children

Eyes stare right back at you from all directions as you step into Triveni Gallery. All have one thing in common — the unmissable pain and anguish they express.

A part of the exhibition titled, ‘Marred Reality’, captures the emotions of victims of violence from across the world. And what better way to express the suffering of those who survive than through the eyes?

Artist Jyotiprakash Sethy is always aware about the happenings of the world and tries to reflect that through his work as well. “Being an artist, I am always curious about what is happening around me. Today, women around the world are becoming victims of different kinds of violence. Their rights are being supressed in the name of orthodox beliefs,” he says while talking about his current series that focuses on the fundamental rights of women.

Not only women, his works also put light on how violence and war disturb and alter the lives of children. Canvases that portray children armed with rifles are also part of the show. “There should be books in their children’s hands, but there are arms and ammunition. Knowledge should be instilled in their minds, but it is being filled with hatred. They are losing their innocence. I want to talk about this reality through my art,” he adds.

Sethy did not have anything specific in his mind when he started working on this series. It began with making a couple of sketches of eyes. Fascinated with how it turned out, he started adding other elements to it. He then finally came up with a topic in relation to the same and titled it ‘Marred Reality’. “The feelings that the eyes were portraying went perfectly with the title,” he says.

With around 15 mixed media paintings on display, all his subjects are portrayed in shades of black. “What appears to be black is simply not black. It’s a combination of several other colours,” explains Sethy. The most striking element is the use of newspaper and magazine cuttings as the backdrop for the works. Sethy adds, “Newspapers are our source of information. We get to know about the affairs of the world through media.”
While the subjects are from all parts of the word, his works portraying children are largely inspired by the sufferings in Syria.

The exhibition is on display till January 20 at Triveni Kala Sangam.