KOCHI: “The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later when a stranger looks at it, it moves again, since it is life.” So is said by a noted American author and Nobel Prize laureate William Cuthbert Faulkner. For this Thiruvananthapuram-based self-styled artist and sculptor Usha Ramachandran, art is just that- a means to portray life and motion. The artist is holding her solo sculpture exhibition-cum -sale themed ‘To Catch a Movement, to Catch a 
Moment’ at the Alliance Francaise art gallery in the capital city.
Be it the unpolished work of a ballet dancer striking a pose, the youngster ready to dive into the pool or a man climbing up a coconut tree, all of her sculptures are set in a world of motion. Speaking on what interests her more in art, she says, “I like motion. Movement signifies life, and I am attracted towards it. Capturing a person or object in motion is definitely more appealing and attractive than those standing still.”
Recently, she has started experimenting with paper sculptures, two of which is displayed as part of her collection of works. These sculptures, rare to see, end up being the highlight of the exhibition. Usha says, “The base is a long thick wire, on to which I have stuck strings of paper.” Showcasing a series of around 16 sculptures, the collection of works mostly in bronze, she says, all seem to be inspired from everyday moments and activities from ordinary people’s lives, something which we fail to notice. She says, “I like to make sculptures of ordinary persons and their activities, for instance the fisherman who spreads out his net.”
There are more, like the person who is walking, using a book as a shield, seemingly to protect himself against the rain. Though she started painting rather early during her childhood days, she started experimenting with sculptures only recently. The sculptor cum painter says, “I started painting as early as the age of two. However, I started sculpting only around six years back, at the age of 59.” Though most of her sculptures are done in bronze, Usha has also created works on wood, terracotta and fibreglass. For her paintings, she uses a variety of mediums including acrylic, water colours, oils, pastels, charcoal and so on.
Apart from the capital city, the artist has conducted solo exhibitions in Kochi, Calicut, Bangalore and Mumbai.The sculpture exhibition, which was inaugurated the other day by Alliance Francais director François Grosjean, will be on till October 17. The gallery will be open to the public till 6 pm.
