Andheri West - Strokes of concern, Events,

When Vinod Manwani sits down to paint these days in his residence cum studio in Malad, two feelings concern him and his canvas. Nostalgia and empathy for metros escalating multiplex culture and more importantly, ‘Tiger Conversation’. These two series can be seen at his studio.

A tiger at a gunpoint, a wooden horse, a clock without hands, a wooden chair are recurring objects in his oil paintings of the ‘Tiger Conversation’ series. The other series, watercolours on paper, sees old Hindi movie posters outside theatre halls in Rajasthan, where he spent his childhood. Old two rupees notes and coins stuck on the sheet make a reference to the price the artist paid to watch a movie as against the Rs. 200 that movie lovers pay today. “I went to see a film in a multiplex recently, and I could not help but get nostalgic about movie watching in the past. I started chatting with a group of youngsters about the multiplex culture they adhere to; they were shocked when I narrated them my experiences in the past at their age,” he explained.

A casual conversation got translated into a series of paintings that keep the kitsch-ness of Bollywood film posters animated in the 18 paintings. “I wanted to make the paintings in a simple manner. I painted whatever I could recall in my memories, just as I saw it,” he explains about his style of painting.

An active member of the BNHS, Manwani feels strongly about the declining numbers of the tiger species. “My paintings will perhaps work as references for my children when they grow up. I show a clock without hands to show that the time to save these glorious species is over. We have reached a sad stage where nothing much is happening to preserve tigers,” he says. This particular series includes five large works that make space for many events and narratives. Other than space on canvas, Manwani also reasons on physical spaces that a congested city like Mumbai lives in. “Art lovers in the city go for a reasonable size when they buy art. Big size paintings are only for plush galleries,” says Manwani as he explains his A4 size paintings.

Manwani’s narrative style that makes a comment on the decline of the tigers and the multiplex culture is sure to get viewers to ponder.

• My paintings will perhaps work as references for my children when they grow up. I show a clock without hands to show that the time to save these glorious species is over. We have reached a sad stage where nothing much is happening to preserve tigers. Art lovers in the city go for a reasonable size when they buy art. Big size paintings
are only for plush galleries

jigna.padhiar@timesgroup.com