Woods that became his healing canvas, can let you experience forest

Kollam: You don’t have to venture into the woods to experience the forest. In the heart of the city, a collection of paintings brings alive the colours, moods and mysteries of the forest at the Quilon Art Gallery.

The exhibition, titled ‘Kaadu’, or forest, features works created by Binu Kottarakkara during a seven-year journey through the Western Ghats, which he undertook while battling leukaemia. The paintings capture the many moods and facets of the forests stretching from Ponmudi to Paithalmala in Kannur.

Binu has developed a distinctive style of his own, with most of his works following the Impressionist tradition. His paintings go beyond the familiar greens of the forest and explore its changing moods and character. For Binu, the forest is not merely a landscape to observe or paint, but also a source of healing.

Binu was diagnosed with leukaemia while he was in Class 10. During his treatment at the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, Dr Gangadharan recognised his artistic talent and encouraged him to take up painting. He initially turned to art as a way of battling the disease, but eventually found in the forests both a new subject for his work and a source of strength to overcome his illness.

Binu says connecting with nature gives him the energy that helps sustain him.

Curated by Dr Ranjhu Leaf, the exhibition is being held with the support of the District Nature Conservation Coordination Committee. Public Library honorary secretary Prathap R Nair inaugurated the exhibition. District Nature Conservation Coordination Committee chairman T K Vinodan, general convener V K Santhosh Kumar and artist Ashraamam Santhosh also spoke.

The exhibition will conclude on Sunday