Press

“കാനായിക്കു ബദൽ കാനായി മാത്രം എന്നു പറഞ്ഞ പോലെ തോമസിനെപ്പോലെ വരയ്ക്കാൻ തോമസേയുള്ളൂ” (“Just as there is no alternative to Kanayi, there is no one who can paint like Thomas.”)

“He (K. P. Thomas) doesn’t conform to conventional mediums or styles and has crafted his own unique approach to expressing himself through his works.”

“അക്കാദമിക വിദ്യാഭ്യാസം കലയിൽ നേടാത്ത ചിത്രകാരനായ തോമാസിൻ്റെ രചനകൾ ശൈലികളുടെ തടവറകൾ ഭേദിക്കുന്നതിലുമുണ്ട്ഒരു ചാരുത.” (“There is also a charm in the works of Thomas, a painter who did not receive an academic education in art, that break through the prisons of styles.”)

“Using brushes and palettes, the 72-year-old artist has uncovered the brutality suffered by women in our society and the hardships endured by indigenous communities.”

“കറുപ്പിലും വെളുപ്പിലും മാത്രമായിരൂപപ്പെടുത്തിയ ഈ ചിത്രത്തിൽ മനുഷ്യാസ്തിത്വത്തിന്റെ വിഹ്വലതകൾ വിതുമ്പി നിൽക്കുന്നു. 70-കളുടെ ആദ്യം മലയാള സാഹിത്യത്തെയും കലയേയും ഏറെ സ്വാധീനിച്ച അസ്തിത്വവേവലാതികൾ മാനന്തവാടിയൻ രൂപങ്ങൾ എന്ന സീരീസിൽ ദർശിക്കാവുന്നതാണ്.” (This painting, drawn exclusively in black and white, captures the complexities of human existence. The existential concerns that greatly influenced Malayalam literature and art in the early 1970s can be seen in the series Mananthavadian Figures.)

“His mixed media paintings offer a unique perspective on the pandemic’s impact. The trauma and the devastation are explicit in the paintings, illustrating the various ways the virus touched our lives — like a snapshot of life during this unprecedented time.”

“From environmental issues to the injustice meted out to women to the estrangement of tribals, the grim realities of life drive the artist rather than creative reveries. ‘Dripping Colours’, the mixed media works of K P Thomas, done in drizzling yellows and reds, are unique for the intense portrayal of the humane aspects of lives.”

“വേസ്റ്റ്പേപ്പറുകളും പ്രിൻറൗട്ടുകളും പോസ്റ്റ്കവറുകളും ഈ ചിത്രകാരന്കാൻവാസാകുന്നു. അതിലെ എഴുത്തുകുത്തുകളും സ്റ്റാമ്പുകളും വരെ ചിത്രങ്ങളുടെ പൂർണതയ്ക്ക്വേണ്ടി ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നു.” (“Waste papers, printouts, and post covers become the canvas for this painter. Even the writing and stamps on them are used to bring a completeness to the paintings.”)

“The agony of those women deprived of their self-esteem and left to moan over their fate has been captured in many works. And among the lot, he chooses the one on the victim of the Suryanelli sex racket case as close to his heart.”

“From the very personal experiences he had in his life to the most relevant issues that are happening around us, Thomas’ paintings have it all.”

“If a painting that depicted a woman under the moonlight with a snake entwined around a tree reminded you of the ancient image of the temptress in a woman, a frame that carried a picture of a haggard-looking woman with pots in front of her, reminded you of women being an equal breadwinner to a family.”

“The printed papers are infused with a burst of colours and images, flights to fantasy worlds in some and representations of social, philosophical and moral concerns in others. “The colours are a spontaneous expression of the freedom in which these 52 works have been done – after my retirement in June 2011,” he laughs.”

“The paintings, in mixed media — oil, acrylic, water colours, charcoal and even fabric paint — are his impressions of the sights and sounds of Mananthavadi, a tribal homeland in Wayanad.”

“Thomas, a native of Mananthavady, grew up observing tribals living in harmony with nature, and tribal motifs are prominent in most of his creations. His art also critiques society, addressing issues such as the plight of unwed mothers and the abduction of girls for flesh trade. He also depicts the strong protest by women in Manipur against the rape and murder of Manorama.”

“These works are not for interior decoration. They will disturb. You will be forced to rethink about your way of life. My art should go to a person who loves it,” says the artist nonchalantly, not in the rat race for recognition and reward.

“Most of his works are based on the theme of magic-realism and an influence of tribal lifestyle is evident throughout his paintings.”

“Thomas has also tried to stray away from the traditional concepts of canvas and brush strokes by creating his images around waste paper, used envelopes, and magazine covers so that aesthetically they form a whole.”

“In fact, it is the painter’s belief that his works ‘emerge’ from the mutilated and discarded envelopes and paper that serve as his canvas. The mutilation in the canvas, the discarded element, then becomes the perfect medium which mirrors the anguish of the artist himself over many developments the world over.”

“If last year it was the blasting of the Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban which sparked his artistic anguish, this time it is the burning of Gujarat, where ‘peace itself has become a nightmare’, as he puts it.”

“The paintings in oil and mixed media touch themes as varied as the ‘Last Supper’, the ‘Eternal dance of Radha and Krishna’, ‘Balancesheet of Sooryanelli’, ‘Martyr’s Column’, ‘Kanikkonna’ and ‘Barber’.”

“God never asked Mary whether she was ready to carry the Son of the God in her womb. Things are not different now. Today also the man decides and dictates,” he says.

“Narrating it from a pure-visual angle, his multicoloured ball pen-rendered tiny drawings are catchy — meant for purists who understand a painting when it is alienated from its cultural background.”

“The series brings out his ‘heartland’ in a variety of moods and motifs — the weather-beaten and withered trees, the wrinkled and woebegone faces, the ruins of time-old shrines and the grim, gloomy caves.”

“Thomas feels a Mallan may not be able to rescue Manandavadians. What is lost has been lost. Yet there is no harm in indulging in euthanasia. Someone has to erect tombstones and inscribe epitaphs for a dying civilisation.”

“He says that he chose this theme because of the breaking down of the tribal civilisation in the name of progress. He feels that the tribals’ way of life is dying, and efforts to prevent them from doing so are in fact causing them even more pain.”