Sawan Kumar’s painting first on Marina Beach. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The truck is pink this time,
Fluorescent, absurd,
A joke through the roads,
On its back,
Men made of stone,
Green and cold,
Push against the wind,
Their muscles are taut, frozen in eternal attempt
What will not work to move.
These lines, part of a poem, May first marina beach By MD Muthukumaraswamy, Sovan Kumar is trying to live a person’s calm struggle with a pink truck painting with a pink truck painting. It is a picture of the established public sculpture, DP Roy Chaudhary’s victory of labor, Marina Beach, Chennai, if it is a struggle-lady trunk here, is a truck in war and peace (Galvan Valley) where it is a type of bridge between war and peace, which is furious with oxygen, and the truck moves with oxygen, the paintings are as much as the same.

Before and after Jallianwala Bagh. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In the Dar Hall Art Gallery, the persecuted cargo, showing the recent works of Sowan Kumar, which is unstable due to the rigor of the message. In the past, present and future, there is expression in these not in these things (most of them are from 108 inches 54 inches) which are a compassionate manner. At first glance, works kits and bright looks, such as only for the eyes. But in a close glance, Muthukumarwamy has a stagnation for consideration with words. Personal and political artists find equal place in the works of the artist who trained as a Seramist. From Odisha, he is Regional Secretary, Lalit Kala Academy, Chennai.

Establishment, beds for people without beds. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Political because we get a glimpse of a nation, which struggles with its twin prejudices – tradition/past and progress/future, while ‘modern’ is trying to interact on the present. The choice of the truck as a symbol is clever and interesting. This changes the way a truck views – as the only vehicle of commerce. Trucks appear to move on the canvas, in the state of frequent flow. Growing to what, we do not know. Perhaps hope, flexibility and a better, rich tomorrow promise for the nation? Sovan Kumar does not respond, he shows the picture and suggests possibilities. But he demands that you look at the big picture and provoke enough to think.

An installation by Sowan Kumar at Durbar Hall Art Gallery. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
From the farm to the Parliament, nature never returns, before and after that Jalianwala Bagh, Untitled Digital Garbage, and anytime flowing legacy of Kashmir are some other paintings that use trucks as a carrier of prejudices. There are also terracotta and mixed media sculptures (our leaders) who strengthen the practice of the artist as a depth in political. Particularly striking sleeping is the installation of painted terracotta sculptures of homeless people, beds for bedless people.
The Hunting Cargo at Durbar Hall Art Gallery ends on 20 April.
Published – April 18, 2025 11:40 am IST