Sree Prakash’s 'Me and My Palette' - an excellent composition

 

Sree Prakash’s  'Me and My Palette'  - an excellent composition 

S.N.Sreeprakash ,the grandson of G.Kochukrishna pillai,who was a great painter, and the son of another painter ,G.Narayana kurup, was born in Karunagapally, Kollam district, Kerala and lived his creative life in the land of Andaman Island. Prakash is an artist who reached the island by travelling like a driftwood. He reached Andaman in 1986, was held there by the magnetic allure of the sea, forest, soil ,its flora, fauna and the people. 35 years of government service and artistic life have made Prakash a part of Andaman. Prakash's book 'Me and My Palette' is the memory, life, words, lines and colors of that place.

 

 Prakash reached Port Blair by ship from Madras and found his place there. The changes and development of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, its people and the country as a whole have been written in a beautiful manner. Sea hawks, seagulls, ships, boats and Port Blair from 35 years ago come before us through pictures. The old era is seen alternating in black and white and the new era in color. The natural beauty of Andaman and Nicobar is experienced not only through pictures but also through his poetic writing.

 

 Andaman is the land of rain. Prakash, who set foot there 35 years ago, keeps fond memories of  Andaman rains. Kids rejoicing the drops, people walking with umbrellas, riding bicycles and two-wheelers wearing raincoats, passengers in taxis and  housewives collecting dry clothes before the spell. Perhaps the artist saw it as a climate connecting Andaman with his native land.

 

 Prakash's Andaman career began in 1986 as a teacher in Little Andaman. He describes the lifestyle of the Bengalis living there, the moments he spent with them, the journey through the beaches and the friendship with the fishermen. Prakash also describes how the 2004 tsunami destroyed the Pearl of the Sea. He also says that despite many losses, she has not lost her charm. Prakash describes his visit to Little Andaman in 2018 with nostalgia.

 

 While walking through the Marina Park, the writer feels the whisper of the lovers, the accounts of the conflicts in life and the sighs of the freedom fighters who were victims of the brutality of the British. Prakash, who is also a novelist, beautifully paints the story of the pain and torture of Indians and the happy life of the British through the dialogue between a small red stone from Viper Island, where those who opposed the British and those who tried to escape from the island were hanged, and a stone washed ashore from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island. Although the island is beautiful, it tells us how horrible life was for the Indians who were destined to be the islanders.

 

 Rose Island was the base of the British. Here they constructed a church, a tennis court, a dance court and a bar. The writer notes that the tragic life of the tribals, the misery of the exiles and the brutality of the British are intertwined in the stories told by their remains. I visited Andaman in 2010 as a guest of Sreeprakash. Subsequently, in 2011, a documentary was made about the cellular prison. Prakash also played the role of an artist who painted pictures capturing the feelings of the freedom fighters who were brutalized in the prison. The documentary gained international attention. Pictures drawn during that time are also part of the book. Those intense images could haunt us as much as thousands of words.

 

 Prakash notes that the period 1987-90 in Car Nicobar was also an occasion for the composition of many good paintings and fond memories. Image of a tribal Jarawa,Shompen  and  limestone cave form part of the palette. The story of making friends with the wind in Mayabandar is also told. Collections of paintings in the hands of many in India and abroad say that Sreeprakash is a painter who made friendship not only with the wind but also with every sensations of  Nature’s bounty.

 

 One  will feel like going on a journey through the paths travelled by Prakash when reading this book. Diglipur, Kalipur Beach, Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay and Pygmalion Point are all attractions. Even after 35 years, every day, every sight on this little Island gives him a new vibe. Prakash ends his writing by opening his eyes to the scenes of Andaman, which has survived the Covid era, becoming active again.

 

 Conjuring up paintings, travel, history and life in a nutshell, this book is undoubtedly  ornament  the library of any individual or institution👌

S.N.Sree Prakash – M- 9434284602