Amidst a pantheon of stars participating at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), the youngest of them all, the 23 year-old Unnikrishnan C doesn’t seem to be star-struck. At Whorled Explorations, the second edition of KMB, curated by Jitish Kallat, Unnikrishnan stands out with his untitled work which is a painted and carved brick of wall.
At the quiet location of CSI Bungalow, one of the eight venues of KMB in Fort Kochi, Unnikrishnan shares space with four other artists – architect Bijoy Jain, Pakistani artist Hamara Abbas, Mark Wallinger and Arun K.S. It is only after the artist points out the breakage in Jain’s fragile work, ‘Brick Landscapes’ - understandably resulting from constant touching by the visitors – to the guard and the KMB volunteers, that we get to his work.
“It is like my visual diary where I record everyday imagery seen in my surroundings. At home, the wall of my room is just like this, painted and carved,” says Unnikrishnan of his 300 brick wall. Just graduated from Thrissur College of Arts, Jitish Kallat, saw his painting displayed as part of the final year exhibition and invited him to KMB.
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“It is a great opportunity. It is first time ever that my work is being seen on such a platform and to such a wide audience. My work has been seen by the likes of Francesco Clemente and Anish Kapoor,” says the upcoming artist, who lived in Kochi for three months to complete the work.
The sights and smells of Kochi, its tales, myths, legends, and its people got registered in his mind before they found an expression in his installation. “I would go into the homes of local people, chat with them, eat with them, look around their house, take photographs of the household objects. Like I went to the house of a really old woman, who lives all by herself. I saw the emotional attachment she had with the oil lamp.” The oil lamp is one of the many objects Unnikrishnan has drawn on the bricks.
A big fan of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, Unnikrishnan says, like his idol, a part of his self, also reflects in his work. “Autobiography blended with magical realism. That is the influence of her art in my practice.”
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Born into a family of bamboo weavers, he like so many of his generation, doesn’t want to continue with the family profession and took up art. “There isn’t poverty but there isn’t enough money either. I funded my art studies by doing commissioned works and teaching. My parents had no clue what art is. They came to an event like this and understood what I do, what is art. I am not sure but I want to go to Baroda University to do my MFA.”