On parallel paths: official of the Railway who draws, sculpts | Nagpur updates
Nagpur updates: What is the connection between an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer and art and painting? Also, if the officer is Krishnath S Patil (38), Senior Commercial Divisional Manager (SrDCM), with Central Railway, Nagpur. His painting and sculpting pastime, which breathed life into canvass and dead wood, has matured enough to hold a solo show on March 7.
Patil, who comes from the obscure Shelewadi village in Kolhapur district, heads the department of commerce, where the sole goal is to achieve targets through merchandise, ticket screening, and coaching. Patil has completed over 100 paintings and over 50 sculptures in wood, balancing his challenging job with his passion.
Speaking ahead of his two-day maiden exhibition of paintings and sculptures, which will be opened by DRM Somesh Kumar at the Civil Lines Central Museum, Patil said, “This hobby serves as a stress buster and enhances my creativity.
People take different ways to get rid of tension, I look to art and culture. “Patil took to painting and sculpting in 2013, when he was appointed as assistant operating manager (AOM) in Nagpur. His fellow railway officials, however, have no knowledge of his hidden talent.
His first painting on September 1, 2013, entitled’ Nativity,’ was a gift to Deepika, his doctor’s wife at the birth of their son Tej. “The symbolic image was of a woman holding in her hand a newborn baby,” Patil says.
“I started my journey as an artist from Nagpur and hence this exhibition was organized here. Second, until now, there had not been enough paintings and sculptures to showcase.”
“I use the spare time from my tight schedule to make art. For the last 1.5 years, I have been working on one of my paintings and it’s still unfinished, “he says.
Patil’s paintings of acrylics speak for themselves. Every painting is unique, and it reflects an abstract thought. Asked about a woman looking out of the window, Patil explains, “I wanted to show the limited knowledge that humans get from the windows of senses and vision.” “For me, both sculpture and painting are two sides of the same coin, because both require imagination and thought,” Patil explains.
Many of Patil’s wooden sculptures represent spiritual art, besides nature and birds. Bramha, creator of the universe as represented in Hindu cosmology, is one of the pieces in creation.
Patil says, “Work is my priority and then art comes.” Central Railway earned non-fare revenue from Rs2.85 crore in the last year after joining as SrDCM at Nagpur. On the higher side, too, is income from other outlets.
Patil is as enthusiastic about his art and he looks out for pieces of wood wherever he goes and what could be made from it. His inspirations are great abstract late painter Vasudeo Gaitonde, and professional timber and bamboo art designer Manohar Sapre.
“When I’m out on tour collecting some pieces of wood, my staff is always confused and asks me why I collect deadwood. But only an artist would realize how precious the wood is, “he said. Patil has a social mission in his art too. He adds, “I want to sell my paintings and use the money for charity.”
