Kerala   

Popularising mural art

Passing on the art: A mural workshop in progress at Manavedan Auditorium at Thrissala Bhagavati Temple in Mankavu, near Kozhikode.

There is more to murals than meets the eye, says Sasi Edavarad who is leading a mural workshop at Manavedan Auditorium at Thrissala Bhagavati Temple at Mankavu, near here. “It’s an art form with a distinct spiritual dimension to it,” says Sasi who has been learning the art form for the last seven years.

“As an art form, murals reflect their character of Indian spirituality mirrored through age-old mythology. It is also closely related to Indian aesthetics “as it makes use of ‘Bhavas’ and ‘dhwani,” says Mr. Sasi. According to him, the art form is going through a transition. “So far, murals were confined to temples and other holy places. But we wanted the art form to reach out to a more wider audience and get appreciated,” says Sasi, who has conducted several exhibitions and workshops to promote the distinct art variety of Kerala temple tradition in several cities across the country. “We introduced a change in the medium from walls and natural colours to canvasses and acrylic, making it portable and more convenient for art lovers,” says the artist who has buyers of his more than 500 murals in different countries such as France, England and America. The traditional mural (on the walls) involves preparing the laterite wall with lime mortar, mixed with tender coconut water and jaggery. The surface is then coated several times with lime diluted in tender coconut water in preparation of the foundation.

“It’s an elaborate process, which we cannot afford to completely demonstrate and teach during a brief workshop like this,” says the artist.

But the workshop gives training in the preparation of natural colours and making of natural brushes besides classes in the basics aesthetics and theories of the art form.

“It’s only an attempt to introduce youngsters to this unique form or art and creatively wean them away from television,” says one of the organisers of the workshop, Harikumar.

“The techniques in mural are quite traditional and so are the tools. Some brushes are made out of natural things like ‘arrow grass’ and tender hair collected from the ears of calves,” says Mr.Sasi.

There are 15 students at the two-week workshop, which started on Saturday.

Jabir Mushthari

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