Walk with the Line

The artist opines that his way of conceptualizing, as a mathematician, has contributed a lot to his artistic research. He values the linear quality in his oeuvre, and the development of a concept and the motif. Each theme evolves in such a way that the presentation is distinguished from period to period or at the same time.

According to him, cows and bulls form the very idiom of primitive, folk and classical arts of India. The horns are highlighted. Alone or in herd they are seen everywhere, in the countryside as well as in the metropolis. This series Bull and Beyond evoke meditative poses of bovine creatures rendered in earthy hues. Now Ilango goes beyond the bull which is the mascot of Lord Shiva, called Nandhi. In Hindu philosophy, the bull symbolizes the human prowess. Many sketches and paintings bring out the subtle harmony in these compositions. “I am fascinated by the form on the space. I go with them on a voyage of discovery to understand their complexity and simplicity. Finally, I see things existing in the purest of forms. Space and form are interwoven, merged into one another, until the original form becomes intangible, imperceptible, sublime”