Bengaluru: Kalaburagi, the divisional headquarters of Kalaburagi (formerly Hyderabad) in Karnataka, has a feather in its cap in the form of the newly established Anuchandra Visual Arts and Cultural Society and Gallery. The newfound art facility is acclaimed to be the first such destination in the whole of North Karnataka. Chandrahas Jalihal, an art teacher by profession and woodcut print artist by passion, is the proud owner of the new cultural centre. He has built a new artistic building catering to the demands of the infrastructure, befitting the requirements. In an informal chat, Chandrahas Jalihal recollects the reasons for undertaking such a magnificent feat, a rare thought these days in that region and elsewhere. Excerpts from the same:
Q: Can you brief us about your journey into the art field?
Chandrahas Jalihal: I originally belong to Balaganur town, now in Maski Taluk, Raichur district, and was born and brought up there. As part of the rural region, Balaganur boasts a typical countryside, with farming and a rustic lifestyle and culture. The place was beautiful with serene landscapes like streams, hillocks and forests during the early Seventies of the previous century.
Q: What was so special about your initial days related to art and culture?
Chandrahas Jalihal: Balaganur was also rich in art and crafts. Many skilled artisans excelled in creating wonderful artefacts, which had a great impact on me then as a growing boy. Perhaps, all these things were responsible for me to imbibe an artistic instinct gradually. My father's native village was Jalihal, about seven kilometres from the ancient city of Badami.
Q: Do you mean to say that the places you grew up and connected with were interlinked with arts and culture?
Chandrahas Jalihal: I had my secondary school education at Holealur of Ron Taluk, then in the undivided Dharwad district. If my father's place was part of the Badami Chalukyas, my mother's place came under the purview of the erstwhile Vijayanagar. Hence, both the native places of my parents were adorned with rich tributes to art and culture, with their temples, monuments and archaeological sites.
Q: So, in a way, it looks like the locations you lived and studied had a lasting impact on you.
Chandrahas Jalihal: Along with the scenic, historic and tourist spots, the prehistoric drawings fascinated me in a very big way. During childhood and unknowingly, I used to be carried away by the mesmerising carvings on the temples, temple towers and other such architectural marvels. If I were to look back now, maybe all these factors drove me to the field of fine arts.
Q: Did you never think of becoming an archaeologist?
Chandrahas Jalihal: After completing matriculation, I had developed a fond dream of becoming an archaeologist, which, however, remained a distant dream. Instead, I had to settle down to become an Art Teacher, to make a living. This way, I happened to join the Ideal Fine Arts Institute at Gulabarga to do a Diploma undergraduate course in Fine Arts.
Chandrahas Jalihal: Once the preliminary course got over, an urge developed in me to proceed further by pursuing a Degree course. This was mainly because of the veteran national and international artists and eminent guest faculty members who used to visit the institute to give special lectures, workshops and demonstrations. They included great personalities like Palaniyappan, Sudhakar Reddy, among many others who used to frequent the institute.
Q: What forced you to pursue a different line of thinking for a career?
Chandrahas Jalihal: Although a new enthusiasm was fuelled, thanks to the renowned artists, the curiosity to have a deeper understanding of the Print Art form surged like never before. Interestingly, at the same time, a feeling arose in the mind warning me that a mere Degree in Fine Arts isn't enough. On the other hand, my being restricted merely to Gulbarga alone wasn't appreciable. The encouraging words of VG Andani Sir, Palaniyappan and Sudhakar Reddy also kindle interest in pursuing ahead in the specialised field.
Q: Do you like to say that your mentors inspired you to go for higher education?
Chandrahas Jalihal: It looks like I was lucky enough to be motivated by the encouraging words of the renowned maestros, which paved the way to reach Shanti Niketan for a postgraduate degree. Later, I did another postgraduate diploma in Print Making.
Chandrahas Jalihal: The experience of Shanti Niketan was not just memorable, but the able guidance of the great faculty was everlasting. It was in 1989-90 that we had marvellous teachers like Somanath, Sanatkar, Nirmalanand Bajaj, Suranjan Basu, and David Da, among many others. The way Somanath Sir and Sanatkar Sir encouraged us changed our outlook and way of thinking.
Q: After your stint at the Shanti Niketan, what was the next course of action?
Chandrahas Jalihal: Once the postgraduate program was over, Somnath Sir had an interaction meeting with all the students to inquire as to what we would be doing next. He opined that all of us had a specialised training in Print Art and wondered what we would be planning to do later. He was candid enough to reveal the grim factual situation on the ground, with no studio facilities and in the absence of studio facilities, we would not be able to continue in the art form in which we had specialised training, and what is the use of acquiring specialised skill sets? Then, I tried to console myself by claiming to work with the studio in Chennai and another one of the Academy in Bengaluru. Then Somnath Sir quizzed on how long one can be dependent on such facilities. Then most of us remained dumb stuck as none of us could boast of a well-to-do financial status nor the confidence to live in the state capitals and make Print Art works for a living. However, all of us were hell bent upon working in Print Art form and continuing to contribute artworks, as there was no dearth of immense excitement in doing so. At the same time, we believed in doing and doing only graphic works. After returning to our hometown, Somnath Sir's repeated advice and warning kept haunting me.
Q: Where all did you work, once out of the Shanti Niketan?
Chandrahas Jalihal: Thanks to the research grant in aid, I got an opportunity to work at the Regional Graphic Studio in Chennai. I had the privilege of working under the tutelage of Palaniyappan Sir. Much before, I had done several Print Art works at Gokul and Kanoria Art Centre in Ahmedabad. I was very happy doing work at Kanoria Art Centre, where Walter D'Souza guided me to do woodcut works. Mrs Kavita Shah was also there to guide. There were many good printmakers who gave me good experience. It helped to get a research grant and later a Junior Teaching Fellowship, after which I worked in Chennai.
Q: Did you continue working elsewhere or return to your earlier place of work?
Chandrahas Jalihal: After having enough stints elsewhere returned to Karnataka, where the only option left to me was to work at an Art school having the facility of a graphic studio. Then I was working as a guest lecturer. But, much more than that, my idea was to work in the graphic studio apart from being a guest lecturer. In this way, I joined the Ideal Fine Arts Institute at Gulabarga, from where I did my degree.
Q: What happened with your dream of setting up your facility for woodcut artworks?
Chandrahas Jalihal: Incidentally, and right from my student days, I had developed the practice of collecting the original print artworks of all great artists, if possible. The aim of setting up my printmaking art studio at a later point in time had triggered this mode of collecting the best works of great Indian artists. Maybe today, my collection includes more than 120 original print artworks of well-known talents from the country. To start with, I have exhibited about 24 such masterpieces in the maiden show to mark the launch of the Anuchandra Visual Arts and Cultural Society Gallery.
Q: Were there no such facilities for woodcut artworks in North Karnataka?
Chandrahas Jalihal: I realised the problems of my students after the completion of their courses. They were handicapped in doing any print artwork in the absence of a proper graphic studio and were forced, either to go to Bengaluru, Hyderabad or any other state capital of the country. Due to such adverse conditions and no financial support to go elsewhere, most of them drifted to different art forms over a period of time. This piquant situation perplexed me to such an extent that I felt the need to set up my print-making art studio, as there was no such facility in the whole of North Karnataka.
Q: Had the state government never thought of setting up any such facility in North Karnataka?
Chandrahas Jalihal: Karnataka Lalit Kala Academy had started a government printmaking studio in Dharwad, where I had been as the Director for its first workshop. Although the studio made a beginning, unfortunately, it did not continue there later. Sadly, a situation arose when we thought of doing some graphic work only under the pretext of being in the camps or workshops. Or else the other option, which remained, was to indulge in woodcut works. Hence, I began to work on the woodcut medium, part of the graphic artwork in my house, without being dependent on anybody, where there will be a rubbing system without the necessity of a press machine. However, the ultimate goal of working on a zinc plate and the integral process has continued to remain a passion. To accomplish the same, I made use of the resources to rebuild my house on the ground floor and the printwork art gallery and studio on the first floor. The studio and gallery facility is also residential for all those coming from elsewhere to work and exhibit their artworks. One can work here at a meagre cost, and the main motto is to provide a studio for the local students.
-Manohar Yadavatti
Very beautiful and supportive article for real visual artist...
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