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| Wednesday, 03 November 2004 |
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Krishna Kanhai The gold leaf painter by Rohan Jayetilleke The Indian tradition of embellishing paintings with gold leaf or ink is antiquity as the Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana show. The medieval Jain manuscripts of Jainism founded by the khstriyan, the twenty-fourth Thirankara Mahavira, senior contemporary of Gautama Buddha have illustrations done in gold ink. The Persian influence after its advent in India through Muslim rule gave a fillip to the tradition of painting with gold ink. All schools of Indian miniature paintings have been done using gold as a medium of embellishment. However, that tradition withered away during the British rule of India. Fortunately Krishna Kanhai of Vrindavan has revived the long lost tradition and given it a fresh breath of air. The small township of Vrindavan is situated on the banks of the river Yamuna, about 150 kilometres away from the Indian capital Delhi.
The Vedic scriptures of India 3,000 BC, record that it was at Vrindavan, cowherd Krishna spent his eventful childhood. Krishna shifted himself to Mathura and then to Dwaraka. The fellow cowherd too migrated to other areas, possibly due to flooding of the area by river Yamuna, and the Vrindavan the cowherds' settlement was deserted. In the 16th century the Krishna devotees, particularly of the Chaitanya sect, rediscovered the religious importance of Vrindavan, as the original abode of Lord Krishna. Thus the locality became a 'Teeraththan' or holy place of Vaishnava Hindus who raised beautifully embellished temples. With this re-entry into the cultural milieu, vrindavan became an epicentre of Indian aesthetic arts such as music, dance, drama and literature. Gold painting Among the many aesthetic arts in Vrindavan, another art of old gold painting too was ushered. Indian President Shri A. P. J. Abdul Kalam chose an artist from Vrindavan recently for the conferment upon him the most prestigious 'Padmashri' award in recognition of his contribution to the traditional art of gold painting. This eminent painter is 42 year-old Krishna Kanhai of Vrindavan. The painter has held several exhibitions in India, as well as abroad and has won many accolades and laurels. In order to publicise this unique genre of gold paintings, the national television network, Doordharshan made a documentary of his works for SAARC countries. In India, there are more art galleries than artists. The national TV Doordarshan and the national broadcasting service Akashavahani, are always on the look out for men ad women of the arts to highlight their talents. Krishna's mindscope is not confined to gold painting alone. He uses the paint and brush on canvas to capture nature of India. He has painted portraits of national leaders who put their shoulders to the wheel of progress of India after Swaraj in 1947. Time and energy Krishna Kanhai, has devoted his time and energy to propagate this traditional art form of gold painting. The students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology use Krishna's paintings in crafting and designing modern costumes, to enhance their marketability overseas and earn foreign exchange to India. These costumes are an amalgam of the modern and ancient trends in costume manufacture. Krishna's commitment to his art form and the countrymen is mirrored in the studio he has on the outskirts of Vrindavan city, where he trains the students who come to him without any obligation. **** Back **** |
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