It is a welcome change in a government office reception, something pleasant to look at while you wait.
At the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) office at Eranhipalam in Kozhikode, where monetary discussions rule the roost, a dash of art is a welcome change.
The help desk at the office has undergone a change with a mural by Paul Kallanode adorning the wall.
The work, in completed in two weeks, is in cement. It was and given a golden finish with paint.
The mural depicts Mother Nature and the living beings which depend on her — ‘the symbiotic relationship between man and nature,’ says the artist.
Here, the mountains look like a sleeping woman while the clouds drop the hint of a baby elephant. The stream, the fish, the sky, everything speaks of freedom and peaceful coexistence, he says.
There are a lot of birds and animals hidden in the foliage of the giant tree at the centre of the work. “It takes some time to realise that there are so many animals amidst those leaves. It would be a pleasant pass time for our customers to find them out,” says K. Prashanth, EPF Commissioner.
The office initially planned to use a large scenic photograph behind the helpdesk. The idea to hire an artist to do some real work came up then and Mr. Kallanode was roped in. “I had only heard about Mr. Kallanode and it was a pleasure to work with him,” Mr. Prashanth said.
