Today, at long last, we were finally able welcome Yuvan Bothisathuvar to Glenfiddich. His has been a long journey indeed. It began auspiciously enough at a glittering award ceremony held at the Oberoi Hotel in Gurgaon last April. Where, from over 500 applications, Yuvan was announced as the bestcollegeart/Glenfiddich Emerging Indian Artist of 2013.
As one of the final five finalists, Yuvan was given the opportunity to display some of his work in the Nature Morte Gurgaon gallery. Working in a collage of recycled paper and other materials more than most Yuvan's work benefits from real life viewing.
With the jury of nine meeting first to review the final five in a conference suite in the hotel it was interesting to contrast the reaction to Yuvan's work on a computer screen with that one when they saw the original works hanging the gallery. When viewed from different angles Yuvan's work seems to present itself in new ways. The nature of the materials used provides for a textural almost sculptural quality not fully visible in only two dimensions.
So with his residency secure it was only a simple matter of booking flights and obtaining a tier 5 creative and sporting visa......
So if there is anyone out there who has been following this blog since the summer they will know the visa was far from being the normal straightforward procedure that has been the experience over the past three years it has been required. Instead it became somewhat of a saga. Which the initial and subsequent applications being rejected. But finally, and on our forth attempt we were able to convince the visa officer in Chennai that by inviting Yuvan to Glenfiddich we were not displacing any settled worker in already in the UK.
And so, just as almost all the other residents away - with the exception of Marie who stays till mid October. Yuvan has arrived!
