Tamil Heritage Kutcheri: 25th-30th Dec 2012

Tamil Heritage Trust
invites you to

25-30 Dec 2012, 10 AM - 12 Noon. Tatvaloka Auditorium, 
76, Eldams Road, Chennai 600018
25
December
Tuesday
Rock Paintings
by Gandhirajan

Rock art -a global phenomenon, started about 40,000 years ago, covers paintings carved into or on the rock surfaces and figurines engraved into the ground. India has the third largest concentration of Rock Art in the world featuring rich thematic and artistic styles and clues to ancient life-style and the mysticism. Gandhirajan will discuss various rock art sites of Tamil Nadu, their idea, artistic treatment, composition and symmetry. He will also do a stylistic comparison of rock art in South India.

Gandhirajan is an Art historian, Researcher and Guest lecturer, well known for discovering many ancient rock art sites in Tamil Nadu. He has conducted extensive documentation of rock art and mural paintings and organized many photography exhibitions. He has co-directed films on History and Anthropology.
26
December Wednesday
Panorama of Indian Paintings
by Arvind Venkataraman

Painting pre-dates history. Cave men festooned their walls with scenes of daily life, hunting and valour. The themes may be simple, but their depictions show a spirit and force, that speak to the soul of the viewers. With the advent and progress of civilization, both theme and technique dramatically improved, though we only have rare examples in Ajantha and Bagh that still survive. The spirit of Ajanta pervaded the region and its neighborhood, adapting locally for narrative and flavor. The continuity and transformation of paintings through time and space will be explored by Arvind.

Arvind Venkarataraman is a software professional and a serious culture enthusiast. Out of his passion we have an encyclopaedic documentation of hundreds of temples and thousands sculptures indexed from across the country.
27
December Thursday
Paintings of Ajanta Caves
by Swaminathan

Painting pre-dates Ajanta is an unparalleled treasure house of art, spanning eight centuries. They display costumes, jewellery, the musical instruments, social order, court etiquette, conceptions of beauty and morality, elegance and majesty, and every emotion from joy to despondence to humour. Experts have gleaned aspects of the painting techniques, such as preparation, perspective, balance, coloring and shading, revealing a level of sophistication rarely matched and never surpassed.

Swaminthan, an engineering professor, has been fascinated with Ajanta since childhood. His extensive reading of literature on the paintings and his infectious and approachable presentation of the Ajanta heritage, has delighted novice and connoisseur alike.
28
December Friday
Pallava Paintings of Kanchi and Panamalai
by Sivaramakrishnan

Few paintings survive in Kanchi and one mural at the Panamalai temple, to showcase the Pallava painting repertoire. But they are bewitchingly beautiful and hauntingly delicate. The contrast of the vigor of Shiva's dance and the delicacy of a watching Parvati's pose are a testament to the Pallava artist's skills.

Prof Sivaramakrishnan, of Fine Arts College, Chennai, will present a native appreciation to the arts in a disarmingly earthy narrative style, that charms as much as the topic. His analysis from the artist's point of view will help the listener revel, revalue what he sees.
Paintings of Jaina Cave Temple, Sittannavasal
by Chandrasekharan

The paintings of the Jaina cave shrine in Sittannavasal, or what survive have been an enigma. If the dancing damsels portrayed here are that of some of the best dancers in Indian, the lotus tank scene anticipate modern techniques of composing.

Artist Chandru (Chandrasekharan), a well-known authority in arts and a former principal of the Fine Arts College, Chennai, will present the paintings in his inimitable style.
29
December
Saturday
Chola Paintings of Brihadiswara Temple, Tanjavur
by Vijaya Kumar

The multi-facetted emperor, Rajaraja, the great has adorned the inner walls of the sanctum of the Brihadiswara Temple with religious lore from the Saiva tradition. Discovered only in the 1920s, and photograph in the last decade, the last surviving paintings of the Cholas are a visual treat not to be missed. These paintings are not open to public viewing, and this is an excellent opportunity to experience them with narration.

Vijay, known all over the art world interested in Indian culture, through his blog, Poetry in stone, is another enthusiastic amateur, whose passion and dedication makes him an excellent communicator.
30
December Sunday
Paintings of Vijayanagara and Nayak periods
by Balusamy

Following the Muslim interregnum, the Vijayanagar Empire brought in fresh air of religious fervour, which manifested in exuberance in temple architecture, arts and festivals. The narrative paintings on the walls and on the ceilings by the Vijayanagara Kings and their successors, the Nayak, is a reflection of contemporary mood and practices.

Dr S Balusamy, Professor of Tamil, Madras Christian College, famous for his research on the grand Arjuna's Penance panel in Mamallapuram, is an authority on the Vijayanagara-Nayak paintings, which he has documented extensively.

Tamil Heritage Trust
2nd floor, 30, D'Silva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600004    Phone: 044-24671501, 98842-94494, 98840-66566   Website: www.tamilheritage.in