The irrepressible spirit of being

Ravi Bhatia is bowled over by the sheer poetry in bronze of K. S. Radhakrishnan’s sculptures.

THE lush, green, meticulously manicured lawns of the India International Centre, the focal point of the glitterati of the Capital, recently came alive with painstakingly crafted bronze sculptors by the well-known artist, K. S. Radhakrishnan, The occasion was the unique exhibition of his creations which virtually converted the expansive lawns into an open air art gallery, much to the delight of both the regulars as well as chance visitors.
Maiya is the Harappan dancing girl who excels in the martial arts and even takes on the asuras Musui is the artist’s impression of the Santhal youth, who was his first model The figurines cast a spell on the viewers because of their expressions.
— Photos by Rajiv Tyagi

The exhibition entitled, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" depicts in bronze the irrepressible spirit of Musui (male) and Maiya (female). The figurines, some towering over all others, some close to the mother earth and others mounted on different, imaginative pedestals, fascinated one and all because of their exquisite craftsmanship and the expressions that the artist had managed to cast on them.

While Musui is the artist’s impression of the Santhal youth who was his first model in Shantiniketan, Maiya is the Harappan dancing girl who also excels in the martial arts and even takes on powerful asuras (demons).

Radhakrishnan, born and brought up in Kerala, "God’s own country" gradually veered towards the Mecca of all the creative artists, Shantiniketan. There he spent several years under the tutelage of the famous Ram Kinkar Baij, engaged in perfecting the art of bronze casting and modelling. Radhakrishnan’s creations are part of many a collection both in India and abroad. The exhibition was curated by Geeta Sen, a known name in the art circles here and in Kolkata.

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