Students of the College of Architecture Trivandrum (CAT) had a lesson that deviated from the syllabi last week when they came up close with the ancient art of Kerala mural painting. Organised by Kozhikode-based open studio and NGO Dhyanasankalpam under the mentorship of co-director and traditional mural artist Sasi Edavarad, the basic one-week intensive course took students back in time.
“Only an abstract creation can be called art; imitating real life is craft,” says Principal of CAT, J. Jayakumar. “The challenge lies in how we can make the students understand this. Workshops are regularly held on various subjects from filmmaking to photography and writing so that they are exposed to different forms of creative expression. As architects our job is to give form to an idea. That is when it becomes design.”
Senior students Akshay Krishna and Miya Jose had attended a basic level workshop conducted by Dhyanasankalpam in Bangalore after which they, with some help from their peers, created a mural depicting traditional architects at work in the olden days. The 3.5m x 2.1m painting now graces the reception of CAT.
A student of CAT is engrossed in her work at a workshop on mural art.
Dhyanasankalpam, or Wall Whisperers as they call themselves, was an idea initiated by Sasi in 2005 in an effort to familiarise the layman with the style of mural painting indigenous to Kerala. “It began with classes at my place in Kozhikode and workshops in schools across the district,“ Sasi explains. Dhyanasankalpam offers modules of training based on a curriculum developed by Sasi, an alumnus of the Institute of Mural Painting in Guruvayoor. It took the artist over two to three years as the various levels took shape, incorporating methods he had taught himself through trial and error. Students have the opportunity to understand ancient drawings through dhyana slokas, learn and apply traditional methods using measurements and colour schemes exclusive to Kerala mural paintings.
Sasi calls the art Sopanachitrakala and has names for the various elements such as the ornaments and flowers that feature regularly in Kerala murals. "We didn't have anything to go by as references. I would go to temples with a scale and notebook to teach myself techniques. If someone knows what these elements were originally called, I will be glad to include that in the curriculum.” Dhyanasankalpam's co-founder Hari Kumar Chelli, a native of Andhra Pradesh, steps in during the initial days of every workshop walking students through the history of murals and provoking conversations about the subject. “I make all the noise,” he says in jest adding the need for a revival in discussions surrounding art. "For a large part of history, it was artists who were silenced for the longest time as art is what made people think.”
Traditional mural artist Sasi Edavarad is co-director of Kozhikode-based open studio and NGO Dhyanasankalpam
The basic course for beginners is called Praveshika, followed by Naipunya, a 15-day workshop for those who have completed Praveshika and levels one and two of Acharya, where students paint on walls using natural colours. Participants then assist Sasi with commissioned projects.
Dhyanasankalpam held its first workshop for art enthusiasts in 2013 at Palakkad followed by sessions in Bangalore and Pune. Sasi associates with Sarang Cultural Ventures, a Palakkad-based platform for cultural exploration for the residential workshops, which have since seen requests for more. Sasi is proud that his his batch of students from Bangalore have created a community to help each other practice. “They are coming out with an exhibition soon,” he adds. Dhyanasankalpam is headed to Chennai and Mumbai soon, a clear indication that Kerala murals have many takers. “Many of my students are not even Malayalis,” Sasi observes. He also holds lessons over Skype for students who are based abroad.
The initiative aims at reclaiming public wall spaces for traditional art forms which led to some awe-inspiring work in the public sphere. Dhyanasankalpam presented Saint Tyagaraja's Noukacharitam in mural format, as a series of six paintings on the walls of Sree Krishna temple at Mankavu Palace in 2012. Hari translated the original opera into English which was translated by an author into Malayalam helping Sasi depict the paintings. In 2014, Sasi and a team of 10 artists painted the Tree of Knowledge spanning 1200sqft at Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls at Nadakavu, Kozhikode commissioned by a native of the city who wanted to give the school an overhaul. Dhyanasankalpam won the REACH Foundation, Chennai award for Heritage Conservation in 2014. Trissala Bhagavathi temple in Mankavu. Sasi is concerned about Kerala mural painting being influenced by other styles. “It is commendable if people can use the same style and technique to create original art. But borrowing techniques found in other styles and calling them Kerala murals should not be accepted,” he says hoping that the workshops empower people with an eye for identifying the style.
As for the students who have just completed the course, another challenge awaits them. Principal Jayakumar has assigned them with the task of using a wall in the campus to depict a subject of social relevance using the techniques learnt. "Only then will people relate to it," he feels.
Some of the participants such as batchmates Saira Salim, Natasha Ann Thomas and Indulekha Paul are surprised by the output. “It is amazing how he has managed to bring out such amazing work from us in a week's time,” Natasha says. Saira now believes Kerala murals are doable unlike before the course when they seemed complicated.
