By D Simhachalam

Copyright thehindu

The newly inaugurated LG India CSR Foundation gallery at VIP Towers on VIP Road has opened its doors with a group exhibition, Shoreline of Voices. Bringing together the works of 27 artists, the show marks the beginning of what many in the region hope will be a sustained cultural initiative. The venue itself is striking in its clarity of design. Brightly lit and spacious, it offers a dedicated platform for contemporary and traditional art in Visakhapatnam, a city where such spaces have long been limited.

The exhibition has been arranged in three sections: Traces of Culture, Quiet Realities and Strength Within and Beyond. Each segment addresses a distinct theme that reflects the complexity of artistic practice in the region today. Traces of Culture highlights the role of heritage in shaping the visual imagination of the participating artists. Works displayed here capture the less visible ways in which custom and tradition remain present in everyday life. Quiet Realities brings forward scenes drawn from daily experience, details that are often bypassed. Strength Within and Beyond confronts questions of personal resilience and collective struggle, interpreting the interplay between inner conflict and external circumstance.

Among of the works on display is the linocut print titled All Good Things Take Time by D Simhachalam, the Head of the Department of Fine Arts, Andhra University. Created as part of a larger series, it presents a masked face, a direct reference to the post-pandemic condition. The figure, surrounded by hints of digital distraction, recalls the peculiar detachment of those years, when online exchanges often eclipsed physical presence. The simple lines of the medium serve the idea, leaving space for the viewer to interpret the unease of that moment.

In the section dedicated to introspection and struggle, Jagadeesh Tammineni’s two untitled etching prints carry a weight of personal confrontation. Produced more than a decade ago, they reveal a preoccupation with internal battles that remains strikingly relevant. One work portrays four emotions through the face of a tiger, with fire-like smoke emerging from its head. The other centres on a squirrel with a crown beside it depicting its aspirations of owning its kingdom, its fragile body confronted by chillies that signify the many obstacles encountered in life. Jagadeesh’s use of animal imagery to represent human ambition and suffering allows the viewer to connect with the theme without the clutter of direct narrative.

Ravi Kattakuri contributes two paintings that continue his exploration of the feminine form. His use of bold colour, especially in the rendering of faces, is distinctive and remains immediately identifiable. In contrast, M Siva Kumar creates a juxtaposition between Victorian-style portraiture and mechanised figures. His oil paintings bring robotic features into dialogue with the elegance of a previous era, questioning what constitutes beauty and identity in a technologically shaped world.

Sculptural and installation works extend the scope of the exhibition. N Naga Manikanta presents a fiberglass and iron piece depicting a man balancing an elephant, a visual that prompts reflection on the disproportionate pressures carried by individuals in society. Another compelling work is by M Rajya Lakshmi’s The Village, made in fiberglass, which depicts women engaged in carrying water and washing clothes. The composition underlines the endurance and labour that sustain rural life, capturing a rhythm that is both ordinary and profound.

Printmaking again asserts its presence through T Naveen’s Memories, which portrays a village landscape with sensitivity and precision. The choice of etching emphasises the permanence of these recollections, suggesting that such memories remain etched in the collective consciousness long after the physical spaces may have changed.

The significance of this inaugural show extends beyond the works themselves. D Simhachalam, the Head of the Department of Fine Arts, Andhra University, observed that the presence of a dedicated art gallery in the city was overdue. “It creates a platform for established figures as well as emerging artists and it encourages collaborations that can expand the cultural horizon of Visakhapatnam,” he said.

Shoreline of Voices will remain open to the public on the ground floor of the VIP Towers, LG India CSR Foundation space, Siripuram, until December 18, withvisiting hours from 10.30am to 5pm.