With the State government organising a three-day event from Monday in Thiruvananthapuram to honour sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman on the occasion of his 80th birthday, and to celebrate 50 years of his magnum opus Yakshi, the demand for giving a facelift to the imposing artwork in the Malampuzha Gardens here has gathered momentum. The sculptor has been demanding its refurbishment since the 30-foot structure turned 45.
Built in the late 1960s, Yakshi is badly in need of renovation. It continues to be the major attraction at the garden.
As per an earlier renovation proposal, a Yakshi Park would be built around the sculpture. The park would be a mixture of images and art works depicting witches, ghosts, demons, and other forms of mythical and imaginative characters.
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Kanayi had visualised Yakshi as an artwork that sharply deviated from the then existing models. Local people recount that it generated a lot of controversy as it was the first time that a nude female sculpture was installed outside temples. Many found the art work obscene.
Kanayi told The Hindu that through the work he had tried to generate debates on the morality of artistic expression. “I excelled in female forms right from the beginning. Woman represents mother, nature, and power to me. I created my sculptures by drawing copiously from heritage, myth, and folklore,” he said.
Kanayi said he would visit Malampuzha after the summer to look into the modalities of refurbishment. “I will use the event which is to be organised in my honour to push for the renovation of Yakshi. It will be my next project,” said the artist.
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