Untitled

Artist: Akkitham Narayanan
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Size: 8 × 5 inches (20.32 × 12.7 cm) 
Date: 31 October 1997

This stylized abstract composition by Akkitham Narayanan exemplifies his mastery in merging symbolic form, visual rhythm, and spiritual inquiry within a sophisticated formal language. Executed in watercolor on paper, the work showcases Narayanan’s distinct approach to material and geometry, where drawing and painting merge seamlessly to evoke layered iconography. At the heart of the composition is a central figure-like form, rendered with sculptural ambiguity. The shape, possibly referencing an animal head or a symbolic deity, appears simultaneously organic and architectural. The dark reddish-browns and deep earth tones lend the figure an arresting gravitas, while its carefully articulated edges and contours suggest both volume and fluidity. The use of dark lines to delineate certain sections underscores Narayanan’s graphic sensibility, honed during his studies in Paris and influenced by traditional South Indian temple art.

Hovering behind or atop this central motif is a circular, spiraled form, its presence evoking mandalic symbolism or cosmic movement. This motif, repeated and transformed throughout Narayanan’s body of work, suggests metaphysical expansion and introspection, drawing the viewer’s gaze inward. Surrounding the focal structure are undulating patterns and geometric interventions that echo architectural schematics or sacred diagrams, recalling the visual language of yantras. Despite the apparent fragmentation of forms, the overall composition reveals a refined balance. Narayanan’s watercolor technique, soft yet deliberate, creates tonal modulations that suggest movement within stillness. The interplay between the darker body of the figure and the lighter, rhythmic linear elements constructs a visual tension that is at once dynamic and contemplative.

Narayanan, long recognized as a significant figure in modern Indian abstraction, consistently integrates the rational order of geometry with the intuitive lyricism of Indian philosophical thought. In this work, the convergence of painted color fields with linear drawing creates a hybrid surface that operates on both symbolic and sensory registers. The architectural echoes and calligraphic gestures coalesce into a space where form is not illustrative, but evocative. This work stands as a prime example of post-independence Indian abstraction, informed by both global modernism and indigenous spiritual iconography. It invites a meditative engagement, urging viewers to move beyond literal interpretation and into a realm of visual metaphysics, where symbols, shapes, and textures become portals to contemplation and inner resonance.