Roy K John turns the garden into a landscape of memory

What we see when we first look at a garden can be shaped as much by memory as by what lies before our eyes. This idea formed the core of Kerala-based artist Roy K John’s recent works, showcased in his solo exhibition Kani: Garden as First Sight at Bikaner House, New Delhi.Curated by Satyajit Dave, the exhibition, which concluded on September 10, brought together John’s recent paintings and 3D wooden works, exploring the garden as a space of memory, perception and transformation.The title draws from the Kerala tradition of ‘Kani’, the auspicious first sight of beauty, abundance and hope traditionally associated with dawn. John uses this idea to move beyond the conventional landscape, creating gardens that feel less like static views of nature and more like visual thresholds.Drawing on his training in traditional Kerala mural painting, the artist builds orchards, groves and botanical forms through layered compositions, rhythmic lines and saturated colours. Vegetation takes on an architectural quality in his works, with tree trunks resembling columns and leaves functioning almost like screens that reveal and conceal fragments of domestic life and memory.The garden, therefore, becomes more than a backdrop. It becomes a space through which the artist explores how people remember places, objects and experiences, and how familiar natural forms can change when viewed through personal memory.The exhibition also featured John’s recent wooden leaf sculptures, extending his engagement with botanical forms into three dimensions. Their tactile quality brought another dimension to his exploration of nature, while also drawing attention to the abundance and fragility of the natural world.“In Roy K John’s garden, the first sight is never simply what is before the eyes. It is what the eye learns to notice,” reads the curatorial note accompanying the exhibition.John’s practice draws on his formal training in traditional mural painting at the Temple of Arts, Guruvayoor, as well as his education at the Kalabhavan School of Arts, Thrissur. His recent works translate elements of Kerala’s classical mural vocabulary into contemporary explorations of landscape and botanical forms.Through Kani, the artist offered a different way of looking at the garden , not simply as a depiction of nature, but as a meeting point between what is seen, what is remembered and what is imagined.Get the latest Bollywood & Entertainment News, and more. Download the TOI app.Give your child the gift of confidence! Claim your exclusive TOI Masterclass spot today!