An afternoon at artist Paul Fernandes’ gallery in Bengaluru

As you walk into aPaulogy Gallery in Bengaluru, framed cartoons and paintings cover every wall. . Nestled in the quiet neighbourhood of Richards Town, artworks in this gallery are based on various key locations and landmarks in the city including MG Road, Cubbon Park, and India Coffee House.

Paul Fernandes was born in Bengaluru 68 years ago, and grew up watching the city evolve through his artistic lens. “This is a city I have always been very involved with at different levels. From a youngster who grew up in the old Bengaluru to today when things are quite different.” His water paint cartoons are a way to remember the old Bengaluru.

“There is Kempegowda, who founded Bengaluru. . The Mughals and the Marathas came here, followed by Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali. The city also lived through 200 years of British rule. After Independence, a great number of people came here to work, and many of them have left much for us to appreciate,” says Paul, recalling the rich history of the city.

His journey as an artist has been “long and very pleasurable.” For Paul, it has been a process of learning in many different ways, “from not knowing what you’re going to do next to knowing what to do, it’s a beautiful journey of discovery.” He says even after 50 years of being an artist, he is still discovering interesting parts of drawing.

He developed his own style of painting with inspiration from the famed cartoonists such as Mario Miranda and RK Laxman. “The great Mario Miranda spent a lot of time drawing Goa, Mumbai, and many great cities across the world. He approached the subject with a happy light-heartedness, which is exactly what I’ve tried to do. And of course there’s RK Laxman who inspired millions including myself.”

In his gallery, a huge poster titled ‘One fine day on MG Road’ draws the eye. . With fine detailing and chaotic traffic spread across the canvas, it represents MG Road in 1993.

“I had an office there, right next to the Plaza Theatre. Now, there’s no Plaza left. Every few hours we’d go across the road and sit on a bench to take a break. This is what you saw when you looked out. There were no flyovers or metro lines, just a busy stream of people going up and down the road.”

To him the city has evolved like everything does, Paul believes that nothing is permanent and everything has to change. “Even when you look around the city, you’ll find the things that were believed to be permanent, have changed.” He mentions the Lal Bagh rock and the recent proposals to alter it. “There are monuments and structures that are centuries old, which are also changing.”

When asked if there is a particular aspect of the city that makes him nostalgic, he says “There are many, every road has a beautiful memory. There are no two roads in Bengaluru that are similar. Every road has its character, its beauty and it invites a memory from the past.”

Some of his paintings and cartoons are based on Mumbai. “I used to go there thrice a year to meet my wife. Everything about the city fascinated me, it was a busy buzzing place.” He has also painted series on Goa, Mangalore and Kerala.

“If you’re going to enjoy your work, you must let your work decide the pace of your life. Don’t go faster than your work and don’t speed it up. Art has to be slow and it has to be enjoyed and discovered. Every time you draw something, you are going to learn and from that learning you’ll make another drawing, which is more evolved than the last” Small things make up the big pictures for Paul.

aPaulogy Gallery at Richards Town is open on Monday to Saturday from 10am to 7:30pm. For more details visit apaulogy.com