When the artworks of three generations of a family come together, it is more than a showcase of artistic talent. It is a heart-warming event tinged with emotion, memories and love. Sethubandhanam, an exhibition at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery, chronicles a family’s journey in art. A tribute to the late artist, writer and illustrator K Balasubramanian, by his children Shalini B Menon and Kailas Menon, the exhibition, says Shalini, is a way to stay connected to their father’s legacy. “It is not just an exhibition for us, it holds a deeper significance. While honouring our father’s body of work, we are also expressing our connection to him through art, a gift he gave us,” adds Shalini.
Illustration by K Balasubramanian
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Illustration
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Special Arrangement
Featuring the works of Balasubramanian, Shalini, Kailas and their children Vishnu sharan, Arpana K Menon and Agney K Menon, the show offers a range of artistic expression, across time, circumstances and style. “The show was conceived before his (Balasubramanian’s) death in 2020. He wanted to organise an exhibition that would celebrate a family united by its love for creative expression,” says Kailas.
It took months of effort to curate the show. Shalini along with Kailas carefully sorted their father’s works, some of which he himself had kept aside for the show. A selection of his nuanced illustrations for Chandrika and Mathrubhumi from the late 1960s and early 1970s occupy a large part of the show. Though he worked in the technical department at Mathrubhoomi (1965-1968), Balasubramanian was a regular contributor to the art and photography sections. He later moved to CIFNET, where he worked as an artist photographer. Though he was not in mainstream art, Balasubramanian continued to fuel his fire, painting, drawing and writing plays. He has written five plays, one of which was published, Cholliyattom, which won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award. The translated version of the book was launched at the exhibition.
One of his paintings, a large portrait of an elderly couple, occupies pride of place at the exhibition. The portrait belongs to Commander S Gopalakrishnan, who commissioned it to the artist. “This is a portrait of my parents. I gave him a black and white photograph of theirs for reference. I remember him asking me what colour my mother loved. And I said green. The portrait has my mother draped in an emerald green sari,” says Gopalakrishnan, who offered the painting to be
The showcase also includes posters designed by him, newspaper reports and a hand-written note he left for his wife Rema, just a day before he passed.
A watercolour work by Shalini B Menon
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A watercolour work by Shalini B Menon
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Special Arrangement
Shalini and Kailas picked up their early lessons in art from their father. “Being surrounded by art, we were naturally inclined to it,” says Shalini, who worked as an audit manager, before taking up art full time. A protege of artist Suresh TR, founder of Prussian Blue Art Hub, she has displayed her watercolour series on the quaint countrysides of Wadakkancherry, a village she was familiar with through her father’s stories. She revisited the place before painting the series, which evoke a sense of nostalgia — the charm of a mansion in a village, a temple festival, a lonely alleyway. Some of her acrylics are also on show.
A work by Kailas Menon
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Kailas, who did his fashion designing at NIFT Chennai, worked in Dubai for over 17 years, has been part of a few art exhibitions there. His striking series of drawings in charcoal and brush and ink, titled Sindoor, depicting women with and without the bright vermilion spot on their foreheads. Kailas explores the concept of the veil and beauty hidden, in another colourful triptych. Two striking works in charcoal, one of a palace complex in Jodhpur and one which shows the other side of Jodhpur, is a detailed depiction of the cityscape. He uses a bold palette, mixing styles and drawing from his experience as a designer, while also staying connected to his roots.
A work by Kailas Menon
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Shalini’s son Vishnu Sharan, who is pursuing his MBA, expresses his love for sport in two paintings, while Kailas’s children Arpana (who has just completed her Plus Two) and Agney’s (who is in Class X) works include watercolours of landscapes and sport stars, reflecting their interests.
A work by Vishnu Sharan
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Works by Agney K Menon on display
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Arpana K Menon’s works on display
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The show is on till May 26 at Gallery A, B and C of Durbar Hall Art Centre till May 26.
Published – May 23, 2025 12:14 pm IST
