Chennai, December 27, 2025: The three-day art exhibition “Rag Rekha” was inaugurated at CP Art Centre, Mylapore, marking a soulful celebration of Indian classical music and visual expression. The event brought together eminent musicians, artists, and art connoisseurs, creating a vibrant cultural atmosphere in the heart of Chennai.
The inauguration was graced by Mridangam Maestro Sangita Kalanidhi Padma Vibhushan Sri Umayalpuram Sivaraman as the Chief Guest. The Guests of Honour included Sri Y. Gee Mahendra, eminent playwright and theatre personality; Sangita Kalanidhi Neyveli Sri R. Santhanagopalan, renowned Carnatic vocalist; Sri P. Unnikrishnan, acclaimed playback singer and classical musician; and Sri Keshav Venkataraghavan. The occasion also honoured Smt. Lakshmi Raghavan, Founder and Teacher of the Adyar Art Club, and Sri T. S. Raghavan, Managing Trustee of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Charitable Trust and former Chairman of Indian Bank.
Rag Rekha showcases the evocative works of Dr. Jayakrishnan Unni, an accomplished musician, academician, and visual artist. The exhibition features a compelling collection of pencil drawings portraying legendary musicians and dancers from the world of Indian classical arts. Executed in graphite on white paper and white pencil on black surfaces, the works capture not merely physical likeness but the inner bhava, rhythmic vitality, and meditative stillness of each subject. Through his refined line work and nuanced tonal treatment, Dr. Unni translates musical emotion into visual rhythm, offering viewers a deeply contemplative experience.
Drawing from his long engagement with Carnatic music as a performing artiste and scholar, Dr. Unni’s portraits reflect years of observing musicians both on and off the concert stage. Each artwork becomes a silent raga, imbued with mood, movement, and rasa allowing viewers to engage with music through visual perception.
Mr.Jayakrishnan Unni said, “Rag Rekha has been a dream for very long time, frangance in my mind and the frangance is in the air, the dream has became the reality and this is the tribute to all the great masters music who has inspired me in my progress has a musician and I offer this tribute their memories and the huge volume of work, continues to inspire serval thousands of music students”.
The inaugural day also featured inspiring Carnatic music performances. Sri Sooryagayathri presented a morning concert that set a serene tone for the exhibition, followed by an evening performance by Sri Aishwarya Vidya Raghunath, which drew an appreciative audience. The musical celebrations will continue with a concert by Dr. Jayakrishnan Unni on December 27, and conclude on December 28 with a performance by Sri Sriranjani Tapasya Santhanagopalan.
Open to the public from December 26 to 28, 2025, Rag Rekha invites rasikas, artists, students, and art lovers to experience a rare dialogue between sound and form, where music finds expression through line, texture, and silence.
