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Banking on talent
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Mohan captures the grandeur of heritage buildings on paper
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Photo: S. Gopakumar
Halcyon Castle in crayons and sketch pens
A WIDE canvas would be the choice of any artist intent on capturing the picturesque grandeur of centuries-old royal mansions and forts.
But A. Mohan, who works as a driver in the State Bank of Travancore (SBT), has captured these buildings on small sheets of paper. Mohan had never been creatively inclined, and until recently his life revolved around his job of driving his boss around.
Hidden talent
Interestingly, it was on one such trip that Mohan made a discovery about himself, which somewhat changed his focus on life. "It all started when I drew the sketch of a heritage building, in front of which my car was parked, on the back of an invitation card," he explains. What emerged from his efforts was a near-perfect sketch of the building. Encouraged by his maiden effort, Mohan pursued his new-found interest enthusiastically. His fascination for the architecture of palatial buildings took him to various places in and around Thiruvananthapuram city.
What makes Mohan's work interesting is that he uses only sketch pens or crayons for his illustrations, which leaves little room for redrawing it. Within a short span of time he has built up an impressive portfolio of almost all the heritage buildings in the city.
Encouragement
Meanwhile, at the SBT branch where Mohan works, his unique talent has not gone unnoticed. Says Mohan: "I was lucky to receive lots of encouragement from the members of the staff here. K. Ashalatha, who also happens to be an artist in her own right, takes great interest in my efforts and gives helpful pointers to improve my creations. Owing to her advice I tried drawing on bigger canvases. Again, thanks to the effort taken by noted writer Ambalapuzha Sivakumar, who works in the Public Relations Department of the SBT, I was featured in the news time slot of Asianet." In recognition of his talent, a sketch of the head office of SBT that was drawn by him was used as a sort of logo for `Bankfest,' an annual event held by the SBT to showcase the talent of its staff.
The artist in Mohan now wants to break free from his present style and explore new avenues.
P. BRINDA
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Madurai
Mangalore
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
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Visakhapatnam
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