The luxurious interiors of the terminal building of the Kannur International airport could not have asked for better arts works to adorn its walls than the elegant paintings and murals featuring the local art and culture of north Malabar. The paintings also depicted the cultural legacy of neighbouring parts of Karnataka.
The paintings and murals on display at the terminal building represent the cultural legacy of north Malabar, especially Theyyam forms and feats of Kalaripayattu as also paintings depicting life and culture of the State.
Among the latest additions to the art works that adorn the walls of the airport terminal, to give a visual experience to passengers and provide a vista of the land’s culture and history, are two works that illustrate the heritage of neighbouring parts of Karnataka.
One art work represents the culture of Kodagu in Karnataka. Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu, is around 90 km away. The metal art work on Kodagu was prepared by artists of the Charu Art Gallery, an art consultancy based in Mysuru.
In the picture, a woman clad in traditional Kodagu attire holds a cup of coffee while a man, also clad in traditional Kodagu attire, holds a gun and wears a dagger. The background of the picture features coffee beans and the frame also includes birds and elephants.
Airport officials were told by Bheemesh A.N., managing partner of Charu Art Gallery, that the coffee mug in the hands of the woman, dagger and gun in the hands of the man, and coffee beans in the background symbolise the Kodava culture, while the birds and elephants represent the wildlife of the region. The second art work is a big picture of Yakshagana, the traditional theatre art form of Karnataka. The picture, in a 9-metre high and 6-metre wide frame, is a creation of a team of mural artists led by painter K.R. Babu.
