It took artist Ganesh Doddamani more than a decade to capture the heritage of Hampi in his canvas. He shared why he decided to document the monuments and architecture of the place
‘If an artist decides to document a historical place, he has to undergo a thorough research about the place before visiting it and finally putting it down on his canvas. With artist Ganesh Doddamani, the case was slightly different. When he decided to capture the rich heritage of Hampi, he did not have to walk that extra mile. “I was born in a village called Ramdurg in Balgaum district of Karnataka. It is about 100 kms away from Hampi and I used to visit the place often.
So by the time I decided to paint it for documentation purposes, I did not have to read much about it because I was already familiar with the stories of the place, the empire and the people. Whenever I visit my village, which is four to five times a year, I make it a point to visit Hampi,” explained the artist whose collection titled The Fabled Hampi will be inaugurated on the occasion of World Heritage Day at the Art Spice Gallery, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa.
Doddamani had been toying with the idea of portraying Hampi through his colours for a long time but he “needed a push.” “Hampi has always been in my heart and mind but I never really had that zeal to go ahead and do it,” said the artist. Opportunity and reason came his way in 2002 when the then chief secretary of the Karnataka government asked him to do a project on Hampi. “He was so impressed with the project that he suggested that I should paint the site,” he added.
All the paintings in the exhibition represent Hampi temples as those are the places frequently visited because “of their intricate carvings and magnificent architecture.” What “evoked fascination” in the artist was the play of light and shadow on the temples. “Every time I visit the place, it looks different to me. One monument looks different to me during different parts of the day and that is brought about by the sunlight which casts shadows.
So my representation of a particular structure two years ago will not be the same now,” he shared. According to the artist, every stone at Hampi is a piece of art in itself. “If an artist desires to paint Hampi and the monuments there, it will be his life time mission because the place is so vast and there are so many things to see,” he added.
It is because of his familiarity with the place that the artist has been able to add an old world charm to his paintings. The atmosphere of the place, the sense of stepping into history and the remnants of a once flourishing civilisation finds a place in his canvas. “Ever since I began painting Hampi, I used to go there at six in the morning with my sketch book, camera and painting materials. I used to sketch the places and take photographs and return in the evening.
Then I came back to my studio and made oil paintings from the sketches and the photographs,” the artist said. Till some time back it was possible for him to stay in Vijayanagara, which was convenient for him. “Now the archeological department of the Karnataka government does not allow anyone to stay in the area. So whenever I visit my village, I travel back and forth every day.”
The Fabled Hampi will be his first solo exhibition on the heritage site and he plans to cover more in the future. “But we artists face the problem of funding. The government does not help us. We do not need money to sustain us, we need support so that we can go to heritage sites and capture it through our art and in return, all we want is recognition. I have written to the tourism department and will soon meet them,” said the artist whose wish is to take up one heritage project every year. “I plan to start with Khajuraho,” the artist shared.
The 45 paintings, a result of almost two decades of work, will be on display till May 20.