Madhavan Krishnamoorthy’s ‘133′: A sieve through time- Shubashree Desikan,THE HINDU

When casting a powerful and well known piece of literature into art, the major challenge is balancing contradictory demands. The artist needs to produce work that is as stirring and contemporary, as it is timeless and universal.

When that work of literature happens to be as vast as the Thirukkural, the artist has to bear the additional burden of reflecting the variety and scope that one has grown to associate with it. Artist Madhavan Krishnamoorthy has attempted this very feat in his solo exhibition, titled 133, currently on at Art Houz gallery.

The Thirukkural is a verse in three parts, dealing with virtue, wealth and love, respectively. In all, there are 133 chapters, each containing 10 couplets. Madhavan has made one painting, sculpture or installation to depict each chapter.

About three years ago, Madhavan was approached by the Symbol Company for this project. This team has already brought out an app on Thirukkural and a book. “The main challenge was in conceptualising… I read all the chapters and made the initial drawings, and then the sculptures,” says Madhavan.

In keeping with the nature of his theme, Madhavan’s work shows diversity — in form as well as materials used — and a range of emotional and intellectual input. For example, Anbudaimai (the possession of love) is a chapter within the Virtue section. This is depicted by a human figure embracing the globe in an attitude of compassion. The virtue of love is in loving all equally: this is the interpretation of the 10 couplets within this chapter. The image representing chapter 40, Kalvi(Learning), has multiple keys cascading into a keyhole in a book.

Sometimes, the artist uses just one Kural from the 10 making up a chapter, to model his thoughts on. This is so with the chapter Kaalamaridhal (Knowing the fitting time), where he uses the last, 90th, couplet, in which Tiruvalluvar observes the stance of the pond heron, waiting for the right moment to snap at its prey. But these are exceptions and for the most part, the artist has used symbols to depict the whole chapter.

“This is an important collection, in making which the artist has travelled, gaining both skill and experience. You can make out which sculptures he has made towards the end of the journey,” says artist K Natarajan.

The art is as contemporary as it shows variety. The sculpture on Naanutaimai(Shame) portrays tender shoots coming out of a matrix, ravaged by bees trying to suck nectar from their yet-to-open flower-heads. The reference, obviously, points to child molesters. There are several other pieces condemning the authoritarian State, social evils such as honour killings, and sychophants. The last is represented by a chess board, where all pieces bow towards the king.

There is much more to be said — the delicate handling of Kamathupaal (Love), the humour manifested in some works and the striking relevance today of the metaphors used to interpret the ancient text, especially on polity. “There are 10-15 works that really stand out, but the work needs to be seen as a whole and not as individual sculptures. It is important that the artist has committed his time to this journey,” says Natarajan.

The show has been welcomed warmly by the city and Madhavan has received invitations to conduct his show in Tiruchi, Coimbatore and Madurai. He now plans to take it across the country and then to international destinations.