A large image of Buddha is juxtaposed against the Great Wall of China. This three-panelled work of art, now on display at Radisson Blu, is among the creations of advertising professional turned artist Vijit Pillai. “Art should have the ability to create curiosity. To me, art is not limited to showcasing a technique. I’d like the work to make people go back and read up on the history or literature of the subject portrayed,” says Pillai.
Two majestic elephants emerge against the background of Mysore palace, depicting the festive spirit of Dasara. Sculptures of Hoysala and Khajuraho are selections from his temple series; a Ganesha emerges from a stained-glass like background and Buddha is depicted in colours of autumn; on another canvas, Pillai takes the liberty of placing a rickshaw from Kolkata and buildings with Venetian windows leading up to the Charminar. Pillai’s works can be categorised into three types — canvases with digital print, canvases with print and paint and canvases with paint. To an untrained eye, it’s hard to differentiate the print from the paint until you step closer to the frames. The canvases are a riot of bold colours and textures and the viewer will need to step back to be able to appreciate the images that emerge from them. Digital art is Pillai’s forte. ‘Blu for Buddha’ was one of his earliest series, blending his liking for Buddha and music. Later, he worked on a collection inspired by Mughal art.
“Mughal art is largely limited to museums and private collections. I began working on this series at the suggestion of a Kashmiri who visited my Buddha collection,” he says.
Pillai has exhibited his work in Bangalore and Delhi and was commissioned to do a temple series of digital art for the Sheraton group of hotels. Having observed the reception to digital art in different cities, he feels it is yet to pick up in Hyderabad. “Digital art is a tough process but remains misunderstood,” he says, hinting at how a viewer feels it is an extension of a photograph. “There is a mental block because viewers feel the canvas isn’t painted over,” he says.
His recent works are a combination of paint and print. The image of Buddha adjacent to the Great Wall has a luminescent, transparent quality, allowing the viewer to see the foliage and rocky terrain. The work took him three months to complete, with each brick of the Great Wall painted in a combination of colours and textures. This transition from 100 per cent print to a mix of print and paint came as a necessity to offer value addition to buyers. The new series includes an artistic interpretation of Madonna from Pieta and the Acropolis of Athens.
Vijit Pillai’s works are on display at Radisson Blu, Banjara Hills.
