IChild-like sentiment endears in Ramesh Nithiyendran's Archibald self portrait

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

he Art Gallery of New South Wale s (AG NSW) announced

Ram es h Nithiy endran's selfportrait called "Self-portrait with outstretched anns" as a finalist for thjs year's Archibald Priz e The portrait is quite unique , to say the least.

Altnost iinmediately, the painting forces a s,ni le to creep up on the beholder's visage and prolongs that first glance into a g leeful gawk.

"It's a self-portrait that I wanted to be this kind of joyous, vibrant thing that was mediated and translated from some quick drawings in my diary," Rame sh revealed to Indian. Link.

It is the cheerful child-like sentiment that grabs you at once, in what is clearly a skilled work of art.

"I think the style harks back to drawing and sc ribbling in younger years, on the other hand, it's also upscale and use s materials children probably would not use! " Ramesh chuckled.

"So I think I try to have a playful, democratic style in that respect," he added. H e painted the self-portrait in his Rydalmere studio in Western Sydney. The large-scale portrait is almost 2 1netres in height and 153 c1n wide.

Thi s is not the first time a self-portrait by Ran1esh has made it to the Archibald. Last year, another one of his self-po rtr aits was also shortlisted [or the prestigious prize.

Ramesh also confesses that he is "more expressive or liberal or creative" when working with imagery of hin1self as opposed to the worries that accompany the process of capturing so m eone else's likeness.

"When you're working with yourself as an itnage you kind of get to bypass a lot of the ethical considerations. In some way, l 'm only held accountable to myself."

Th e artist's alluring artworks reference multiple subjects. Whether it is the physical body, gender, culture, reiigions, ancient history or modern life, Ramesh says all these references "co-,ningle" in his work.

"So1ne references are cultural or historical, but some are also pop-cultural and fro1n daily life. Within my work, I try and reflect contemporary life whlch i s about the layering of different experiences, meanings, sy1nbols and history."

Ramesh's medium of choice is primarily clay and ceramics which he says is central to hi s vernacular now. H is reason for it is a glorious link to the people that have been "working with clay for thousands and thousands of years to represent figures" and being able to "connect with all those different histories through time".

Ramesh Nithiyendran is also concerned with plurality and multiplicity. Traditionally, religious idols and deities are sculpted to embody divinity and perfection; he expla in s how his cultural interpretations are influenced by depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses.

"I n lot s of mythologies and depictions in Hinduism, the r e's a sense o f 'the multiple'. It 's often multiple forms, mdividuals and deities co-mi ngling. Even t hou gh, for example, the Hindu representations are incredibly smooth and clean they're also generally poly-chron1atic. The colour schemes are intriguing. The design element, there's a lot of sym m etry and consideration in there, a lot of complexity as well, which is what I find interesting as an artist.

'' I think in our world right now, the favouring of multiplicity is very important," he added.

When it comes to interpretations of his work, Rame sh ha s experienced Eurocentric analyses of hi s work. This is where he says art ed u cat ion might have failed m some way. Nevertheless, he also suggests that times a r e a-changing and people are increasingly acknowledging the concept of global cultures.

"Sadly, Australia sometimes is seen by people as so m e kind of co lonial outpost, as this kind of western nation. Art education has failed in decentering Euro centric narratives. The favouring of modernism as a core in art history teaching could be decentred and globalised for example and that would actua lly create a bit tnore literacy.

" But m the la st few years espec ially, I've noticed people and the indu st ry becoming a lot more li terate with the very idea of g lob al cu ltures rather than the East and West binary," he favourably mentioned to Indi an Link.

Whil e Ramesh Nithiyendran is not concerned with dictating how audiences perceive his work, he does want it to deeply engage them.

" I think there are multiple ways to read art and respond to art and they're all valid, however, I do want it to feel imn1er s iv e, colourful, textural and tactile."

I n an envi ronm ent where public discourse is becoming critical of monocultural depictions of Australia and Australian life, Ramesh identifie s himself as a Tamil-Au st ralian and acknowledges the recognition he ha s received as a contribution to the broadening of the perceptions and narratives of Australia.

"When I think of being of Tamil heritage and being well-known in Australia as an artist, it is somewhat political. There aren't many Tamil-Australian artists showing in these kinds of exhibitions Even though it's not my decision, I'm inadvertently representing my community in that way," he mentioned.

The Sydney-based artist also has an upcoming major project opening soon at the AGNSW in November which is also about portraiture and figuration.