Beyond the animal silhouette

At first glance itself one can discern the constant presence of the bull and cow in the works by Sayam Bharath Yadav . The artist’s affinity towards this selected section of domestic animal reaches out to the viewer instantly. The artist portrays and relives his affection and relationship with these animals through his work, consistently. The memories and experiences shared with these animals during the childhood days have gradually become the primary core and content of his work.

While the previous works by the artist captured the animals in different perspectives, recreating their stances, in various media, the present works strive hard and also succeed in making for serious thought and content. The artist asserts that his exposure to the art field, his interaction with many artists and their work during his stay in Delhi inspired him to look at his work with a renewed perspective and strength.

The artist in the present series of work often comments and explores the social issues. The animal becomes a symbol and represents ‘nature’ in few works, where the artist talks about the perils of pollution. The ever expanding peripheries of the concrete buildings which endanger the life of the flora and fauna also get highlighted and expressed in the works. The artist rejoices in recreating the various types of bulls in his work, the Duliah, Sukka and Gujar all make way into his work. Each with peculiar characteristics and features stands for the region of the country to which it belongs. In a way these forms of myriad colours and aspects rejoice the very essence of diversity and oneness.

With the animal as the central figure the artist brings forth the essences of various emotional upheavals and social concerns. A group of closely fit bulls overlapping and colliding into one another perhaps remind one of an overcrowded city, exploding with traffic of people and cars. The same can be said about the work titled, ‘I know them all’, where portraits of bulls are arranged on the picture surface in a random order.

The artist brings forth the sublime nature of attachment of a mother with her baby with the portrayal of a popular practice often done to save the heart and life of a mother who has given birth to a still born baby. A dummy of the size of a calf is kept near the mother to make her believe that her baby is still with her. The work touches a very sensitive aspect of human existence, motherhood. One can be amazed at the degree of attachment the work exemplifies found in the animal which almost equals to that found in mankind.

For Bharath the animal is a cherished form which gets reflected in iridescent shades and emotional trances in his work. At times the animal becomes the carrier of his personal feelings and at other times the medium through which he ponders and presents dialogues on the processes of the world and society. Regardless of the role it plays, the bull is very much present in the works, strong and sturdy, meek and innocent, animal and human at the same time.