Dr. Boban Ramesan’s exhibition titled “The Undoctored” opened yesterday at Chithrasala Art Gallery, Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan. The collection features a diverse range of paintings, pastels, charcoal works, and pen sketches by the writer and artist. The inauguration ceremony was graced by Mr. K Jayakumar IAS, esteemed poet, author, and former chief secretary, who praised the artworks for their aesthetic appeal. He particularly highlighted their sensitive portrayal of the human condition infused with imagery reminiscent of Western impressionism.
During his inaugural speech, Mr. Jayakumar emphasized the profound impact of Dr. Boban’s pen sketches, noting their blend of visual and verbal poetry that echoes a humanitarian philosophy underlying the entire body of work. He also spoke about the challenges inherent in an artist’s journey and the importance of humanity and compassion as sources of creative inspiration.
Of special note were Dr. Boban’s portraits of Thunjath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, revered as the father of the Malayalam language, alongside a series of sketches depicting the poet’s role in social reformation through education during tumultuous times. These works, inspired by Mr. Jayakumar’s poetry book “Ezhuthachan ezhuthumpol” (“When Ezhuthachan Writes,” published by Current Books), were presented to Mr. Jayakumar during the event.
Mr. M.K. Kumaran, retired professor from Thiruvananthapuram Engineering College, and Mr. Nandan Gopinath, Lions Club president (Kowdiar), also spoke at the event, with Mr. Gopinath delivering the vote of thanks. The exhibition will continue to be on display at Chithrasala Art Gallery until July 30th.