Poems

K. G. Subramanyan (1924–2016) played a pivotal role in shaping India’s artistic identity after Independence. Mani-da, as he was fondly called, seamlessly blended elements of modernism with folk expression in his works, spanning paintings, murals, sculptures, prints, set designs and toys. Beyond his visual artistry, his writings have laid a solid foundation for understanding the demands of art on the individual. In the year of his centenary, Seagull is proud to publish his writings in special new editions.

I lie and lay my head upon the grass
And unwind the body hardened stiff like glass.
But the tiny blades tickle the lower ear
Making me ask myself, why do I bear
This crass impertinence and sink my head
Still further down its bed of prickly green?

So asks the poet, his ears pressed against the earth as he maps the world around him in a new geography of sound. Places, photographs, books, neighbours, afternoons, love, loss and longing are sketched into word-pictures by K. G. Subramanyan as he reflects, reacts and reminisces in this collection of poems.