Symphony of Flames | Akkitham Narayanan
Curator's Note
Symphony of Flames— These words are not just the mere title of this exhibition but a reflection of the profound artistry and thought that permeate the artworks of Akkitham Narayanan. At first glance, his paintings seem enigmatic, their meanings elusive amidst the bold strokes and vibrant hues. Witnessing his creative process, where each movement is a delicate dance, one recognizes the hidden beauty within its illustration. In the interplay of colours and geometric forms in his artwork, a flame emerges with its subtle yet powerful aura. The flame sometimes appears as a solitary deeya (oil lamp) lighting a small temple in the middle of a dark forest, sometimes as the soft glow accompanying a scholar immersed in his manuscripts, or as a distant light illuminating the vast night sky of a warm desert. The flame, a symbol of radiance and enlightenment, flickers within the structured shapes of his compositions, born from the deepest reaches of his creativity. He also captures the forms and lines that personify the ancient rituals of tantra.
Born in an orthodox Brahmin family, his childhood was spent in the village of Kumaranellur in the Palakkad district of Kerala. He grew up in a disciplined household, where art was given an essential seat in developing oneself. Apart from drawing inspiration from his life in Kerala, Akkitham’s artistic expression was also drawn from the teachings of eminent figures such as sculptor and painter D. P. Roy Choudhury and renowned artist K. C. S. Paniker. As a student, he was schooled according to the techniques used by the masters of the Bengal School of Art. His initial art training helped him be a professional artist; however, to evolve into the artist he wanted to be, he had to relinquish these learned forms in pursuit of a style uniquely his own. In his artworks, there is a gradual transition from thick impasto to the fine use of colours as he builds his layers on the canvas.
These layers, meticulously built, create the illusion of a magical kaleidoscope, which reveals new and mesmerizing patterns with each turn. In his exploration as an artist, he reached Paris, the mecca of the art world. He originally came to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts on a government scholarship. There, he explored his depths as an artist by delving into the modern art of Europe. In the City of Lights, he found his artistic identity and a place to call his second home. He has been living in Paris for the past fifty-seven years, and despite the distance from his birthplace, his philosophy and artistic vision remain deeply connected to his roots, harmonizing the wisdom of his heritage with the boldness of contemporary abstraction. This time spent with Akkitham has created a special place in my heart for art, most notably when he was humming lines from Jayadeva’s Geet Govinda while painting—
Rati sukha sare gatam abhisare
Madana manohara vesham
Na kuru nitambini gamana
A place that is blissful, connubial, and quintessentially,
Gone, in a preset place
Arousable, lovely, heart-stealing, with mien
Don't delay in going, follow him, the lord of your heart
These lines from Jayadev beautifully capture the passionate love between Radha and Krishna, weaving a tale that, on the surface, mirrors the emotional depth and sentimentality of a human love story. Nevertheless, the true essence of his poetry lies in its profound symbolism—the union of the human soul with the divine. Writing in the 12th Century, Jayadeva was ahead of his time, portraying Radha and Krishna’s love as a transcendent experience of divine ecstasy. His words evoke a deep, almost mystical pleasure, reminiscent of the soul’s own yearning for communion with the Almighty. This very bliss finds a kindred expression in the art of Akkitham. Through his art, we witness an invocation of spiritual rapture that bridges the earthly and the divine, making the human experience of love a path to the eternal.
- Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya