Royal Gaze (series) | Masuram Ravikanth | Contemporary Art

Masuram Ravikanth’s works may first come across as dexterous renditions of royal portraits from a bygone era. These images are not mere depictions of the past but announce our position in a post-modern era which typically looks back at history, re-contextualizing memory in a new approach. His ‘Royal dict art’ series are typical of museum artifacts, narrating stories of royalty, traditions, and myths enshrined in the past yet reverberating in the present too. Nostalgia is an emotion he arduously tries to bring across through his paintings, using various motifs such as rifles, weapons, kings adorning vintage costumes, etc. Once, somebody’s private belongings now become objects of curiosity and learning for others. He captures this ambiguity and effervescent quality of life in all its grandeur and lavishness.