Place Setting

The protagonist for each work is real,either someone Varghese has encountered during his travels across the country or from an image published in a newspaper or the internet. Against the serene seascape he has a flood victim he photographed in Tamil Nadu and on another canvas he has a group of school students who were refugees in an Uttar Pradesh village. An African woman who fought violence,and burqa clad girls from Swat in Pakistan share similar fates as they are transported to a bottle-green leaf surrounding on Varghese’s canvas.

The expressions are somber,like their stories,but the backdrops,in contrast,are bright. “I wanted to project them in a pleasant environment,” says Varghese,who earlier painted the tales of the displaced in the exhibition “Multistoreys/Stories” at Palette Art Gallery,Delhi,in 2008.

The theme will continue in his forthcoming exhibitions too. “There are several more stories to tell,” says the artist who shifted base from Kerala to Delhi in 1998. Art apart,also in the pipeline is a video that will integrate art with music. The artist intends to sing in a video that will be played in art galleries. “I’m in touch with lyricists and music directors for a new composition,” smiles Varghese.

The focus,however,is on the Big Apple for now.