Kerala artist showcases his works at Kaarisilta Biennale, Finland

Artist Joshe’s work
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Artist Joshe’s Nature Maa is a 71×58-inch canvas covered in numerous acrylic veins and splotches. Though the dominant colour is orange, there are hints of pink, blue and purple. The layered work in print ink and acrylic along with another of his works, Gracefulness, are on show at the Kaarisilta Biennale 2023 in Finland. 

An artist for over 40 years, Joshe has been a proponent of ‘telepathism’ in art, which explores the nebulous connection between thought, spirituality and emotion. A senior fellowship holder from the Government of India (2013-2015), in “bridging telepathic faculty and visual art”, Joshe has evolved a distinctive style, which is abstract expressionistic and abstract impressionistic in nature. 

Artist Joshe
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangment

He does not plan a work, he says, so each work takes up its own time and space. Some may even extend to two years. Joshe prefers to work on large canvases and prefers to work during the day. His last exhibition was at David Hall Art Gallery in Fort Kochi, in 2022, where he showcased some of his telepathic paintings. Joshe’s works are part of an art collector’s collection in Switzerland. “I met an art enthusiast Oliver Keller from Switzerland, during an exhibition, and he was interested in my work and style. He has been promoting my works since,” Joshe says.

Joshe’s work Nature Maa, which is on show at the Kaarisilta Biennale in Finland
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Nature kitchen

Hailing from Melur in Chalakkudy, Joshe is also a musician, who has trained in music from Calicut University. He composes, sings and performs at music events as well. He used part of the space belonging to his ancestral property to build She’s International Art Centre, which includes a gallery, a space for yoga and meditation, a nature kitchen and a space for people to sleep. The nature kitchen is inspired by the idea of community kitchens, says Joshe. “It is open to all irrespective of religion, caste and gender. People can spend two to three days here, free of cost, cook the food they want to and enjoy the serenity of the space,” he adds.

Work titled Gracefulness, which is on show at the Finnish biennale
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Joshe started out as a sculptor at the age of 14 and has dabbled in sculpture during later years of his life in Delhi. “I used to work with clay and had worked with a design company that dealt with terracotta sculptures,” he says. He also spent a lot of time sketching in parks and public spaces, before moving to Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram. He is a published author as well, having written on telepathism and a collection of poems.

His works will be on show at the Kaarisilta Biennale till July 30.