Rag Rekha by Jayakrishnan Unni brings the expressions of India’s classical masters, from the concert hall to the gallery wall

As Chennai’s Margazhi season goes on , a new exhibition, Rag Rekha, opening on December 26 extends the music beyond concert halls and onto gallery walls. Presented by Faber-Castell and Poorvi in association with Saptaswara Musicals, the exhibition brings together visual art and classical performances in a celebration that mirrors the spirit of the season itself.

At the heart of the exhibition are pencil portraits of Carnatic and Hindustani musicians, as well as Indian classical dancers, rendered with striking intimacy by musician and artist Jayakrishnan Unni. From Bhimsen Joshi and Bismillah Khan to CV Chandrasekhar and MS Subbulakshmi, the graphite sketches capture these icons not in posed stillness, but in performance, immersed in their art form. 

“As musicians, we are retrospective in nature,” says Unni. “We are constantly in reverence of the great masters and how they approach a raga or a kriti. The portraits come from that sense of gratitude,” he adds.

Jayakrishnan Unni
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Unni’s return to pencil sketching came during the COVID lockdown, after more than a decade of working with acrylic and oil. “My first sketch was of my guru, Sangita Kalanidhi Neyveli R Santhanagopalan and Sangita Kalacharya Padmasri awardee Prof. S R Janakiraman,” he says, of when he reconnected with his “home medium”. Since then, sketching fellow musicians has become both a personal practice and a way of honouring the lineage he belongs to. Many works showcased in the exhibition were created to mark birth anniversaries, milestones, or moments of recognition. 

The exhibition is accompanied by four concerts over three days. The inaugural evening will feature an address by mridangam maestro Umayalpuram Sivaraman, followed by performances by vocalist Sooryagayathri and vocalist Kalyanapuram S Aravind. Concerts by Jayakrishnan Unni and vocalist Sriranjani Tapasya Santhanagopalan follow over the weekend. 

Together, the sketches and performances invite viewers to look into the inner world of artists who have shaped India’s classical soundscape. 

Rag Rekha will take place from December 26 to 28 at CP Art Centre, Mylapore. Entry is free