BENGALURU: A 15-foot-tall metallic squirrel from Bengaluru is on a 1,900-km journey to Ayodhya. It left Bengaluru on January 8 in two pieces and will be installed at the recently inaugurated Ayodhya railway station on January 15.
Self-made sculptor Kalyan S Rathore, 52, who is credited with the 130-foot-tall ‘Efflorescence’ installation at Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), has created this multi-planed artwork. Rathore explained the theme and the coming together of dichotomies with this public art installation.
Rathore recalled jumping at the opportunity of bringing contemporary work into the historical city of Ayodhya. “I did not want to do anything expected. Instead of a deity, I wanted to bring out the unsung hero of the Ramayana — the squirrel. As children we had heard of its contribution in building the bridge by carrying around tiny pieces of rock. The railway too is a metaphorical bridge between places and people, and hence the squirrel at Ayodhya was fitting,” he said. Rathore recalled the popular Kannada phrase ‘alilu seve’ (squirrel’s service, denoting little but precious contribution), derived from the squirrel’s story. “It is a morale booster, and felt apt coming from Karnataka to Ayodhya,” he said.
The rusty orange of the corten steel based sculpture changes with weather to give it an ancient monolithic feel over time, said Rathore. Considering the form is of faceted geometry, an abstract geometrical concept, it plays a bridge between something that looks old and is done in contemporary style.
The unusual multi-planed structure in a traditional milieu is sure to draw the interest of passersby, he said, adding that the squirrel in its contemporary form will goad people to accept multiple perspectives.
Rathore, a former industrial designer, who found design as second nature to him, swears by planning, as much as he does by the creative process of expression. Meticulous planning, he said, helped him complete the sculpture at a breakneck speed in 15 days, instead of 40. The manufacturing was done in Peenya Industrial Area and and raw material was sourced from outside Karnataka.
Self-made sculptor Kalyan S Rathore, 52, who is credited with the 130-foot-tall ‘Efflorescence’ installation at Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), has created this multi-planed artwork. Rathore explained the theme and the coming together of dichotomies with this public art installation.
Rathore recalled jumping at the opportunity of bringing contemporary work into the historical city of Ayodhya. “I did not want to do anything expected. Instead of a deity, I wanted to bring out the unsung hero of the Ramayana — the squirrel. As children we had heard of its contribution in building the bridge by carrying around tiny pieces of rock. The railway too is a metaphorical bridge between places and people, and hence the squirrel at Ayodhya was fitting,” he said. Rathore recalled the popular Kannada phrase ‘alilu seve’ (squirrel’s service, denoting little but precious contribution), derived from the squirrel’s story. “It is a morale booster, and felt apt coming from Karnataka to Ayodhya,” he said.
The rusty orange of the corten steel based sculpture changes with weather to give it an ancient monolithic feel over time, said Rathore. Considering the form is of faceted geometry, an abstract geometrical concept, it plays a bridge between something that looks old and is done in contemporary style.
The unusual multi-planed structure in a traditional milieu is sure to draw the interest of passersby, he said, adding that the squirrel in its contemporary form will goad people to accept multiple perspectives.
Rathore, a former industrial designer, who found design as second nature to him, swears by planning, as much as he does by the creative process of expression. Meticulous planning, he said, helped him complete the sculpture at a breakneck speed in 15 days, instead of 40. The manufacturing was done in Peenya Industrial Area and and raw material was sourced from outside Karnataka.