acrylic on canvas

Mark’s works while being rooted in the local aspires towards the universal by focusing on the human form. In particular, he is drawn to the connection between the body and the mind and the effect of one on the other. One could see his works both in the Yoga series and the Performer series in this light.

His exploration of the connection between body and personality goes back to his days in Kumbakonam when he closely interacted with performers in and around his village. His insights into their existence through shared bonds of rural life gave him a unique perspective. He could see their character in everyday life and also witness its dramatic alteration when they assumed the role of performers. Thus began his journey to capture the transformation of the persona through clothes, props and actions. Not only does he capture performers in all their theatrical glamour but momentarily he removes their mask to give us a glimpse of the person behind the character.

In these works, one gets to see the vibrance of the performers and the postures of the human form in rich color. Balancing these forms against different hues, Mark’s eye for storytelling can be seen in the way his lines portray the performer and the performance in equal balance.