Then there was a river, now it is a stream

Painting expo Puzhayayi draws attention to the plight of dying rivers in the State

‘Puzhayayi, a painting exhibition by a group of artists at Vylloppilly Samskrthi Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.

If a river could talk, what would it say to human beings? ‘Don’t kill me.’ ‘Let me flow into the ocean without my path being hindered by hydroelectric projects and plastic waste.’

Unfortunately, rivers cannot speak, and we continue to pollute and exploit them to the point of their death.

Art, however, has a way of lending voice to the voiceless, as 161 students of the Tint Academy of Art, Eenchakkal, demonstrate through their new painting exhibition, titled

Puzhayayi . Rivers from across India are depicted in around 50 works at the exhibition, calling attention to their beauty as well as their poignant existence.

The acrylic paintings capture the myriad faces of these rivers, from serene to turbulent waters, and from wide channels surrounded by lush vegetation to sparse streams flowing through near-barren lands. Mountains form the backdrop for some, while some are dotted with boats.

Rivers ranging from the Ganga and the Narmada to our own Bharathapuzha and Kabani come alive through the paintings, making the viewer marvel at the majesty that some of them still possess, while grieving for the dying ones. The experience is heightened by the sound of a flowing river in the background.

Puzhayayi is just the academy’s attempt to do its part in creating awareness of dying rivers, says Binu Victor, artist and proprietor of Tint Academy. It was the culmination of several art classes held along riversides.

The exhibition also features around 350 other paintings, including art works in watercolour, pencil, oil, acrylic, murals, and Tanjore paintings. Their creators are as mixed a bunch, ranging from 7-year-old schoolgoers to 68-year-old housewives.

Puzhayayi will be on at the Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. till Tuesday.