From Kashmir to Kanyakumari: This artist spreads his passion for live painting

Our Correspondent

 Kohima, April 23 (EMN): Despite receiving threats and being physically assaulted, visual artist Alpula Pocham from Telangana is unstoppable in pursuit of his passion.

Pocham is a ‘live painter’ and one of the first in India to embark on a cross-country ‘art tour’, drawing almost anything he sees, on the spot.

The artist shared that he embarked on ‘Kashmir to Kanyakumari’ sojourn in December 2017 to spread his passion for live painting and to propagate the importance of practicing one’s skill regularly.

However, it came with sheer struggle. He experienced about five incidents of intimidation and assaults in a few states, to the extent of being slapped for painting pictures.

However, some, impressed by his live paintings offered help in the form of cash, free lodging, food and snacks.

His live painting collection includes landscapes, a state’s specific culture and tradition, common people, street side activities etc.

Upon reaching Kohima on Friday, he painted a memorial cross of the War Cemetery and a view of Kohima Ao Baptist Church. He said that it took him five minutes and 15 minutes respectively to draw the structures.

He reached Nagaland, the 13th state to set his foot on during his ‘art tour’, by train on April 13 but stayed for nine days before setting off to the state’s capital. His next destination is Manipur and he plans to end the tour by December this year.

During his stay in Kohima, the 32-year-old former art teacher plans to visit the State Museum, Naga Heritage Village in Kisama and the famed Dzükou Valley.

He said that during his over three years and three months’ journey to several states so far, he found north-eastern people, particularly from Nagaland and Mizoram, to be “polite, honest, and friendly”.

He added that he grew up learning that the Northeast is a “dangerous place” but the reality is quite the opposite.

The artist said that he started drawing when he was in Class 8, and later got a Masters of Fine Arts and Painting degree from Chhattisgarh. As his parents were uneducated, it was his younger brother who encouraged him to pursue his passion.

With little resources, he started the journey but his friends contributed to his cause. There were times he halted in cities and towns for days due to fund constraints and would move to the next destination only after earning some money.

His painting works are not for sale but he would trade them for food, lodge, and pocket money to make ends meet. He intends to compile all his live paintings into book form for reference for the younger generation.

Pocham, who believes in the saying ‘practice makes a man perfect’, urged the people to apply their skills and talents on a daily basis in order to achieve their desired goal.