Pat for moulder of ‘Yakshi’

Kanayi being felicitated on 50th year of his famous work

Kanayi Kunhiraman with Minister for Cultural Affairs A.K. Balan and filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan at the exhibition Kanayi@80 at Kanakakkunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.

Kanayi Kunhiraman challenged the fake morality in Kerala society through his legendary sculptures like ‘Yakshi,’ Culture Minister A.K. Balan has said.

He was speaking after inaugurating a three-day event in honour of the sculptor, organised by the State government in association with the Kerala Art Lovers’ Association at Kanakakkunnu Palace on Monday. The event is being organised as part of Kanayi’s 80th birthday celebrations and the 50th anniversary of his ‘Yakshi’ sculpture.

“Kanayi turned his protests into sculpture. These works were able to stir strong emotions in the minds of the audience. Some of the sculptures were even able to cure a few narrow thoughts that existed in many a mind. He is a sculptor with the mind of a poet. His sculptures are testimony to this fact. He is someone who can be called a wonder in the field of Indian sculpture,” said Mr. Balan.

Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishan inaugurated an exhibition of photographs of Kanayi and his works, by photojournalist Jithesh Damodar. He said as far as Kerala was concerned, Kanayi was one of the most important personalities in the field of art after Ravi Varma’s era. While many artists and sculptors went abroad, Kanayi stayed here, considering this land, its nature, and the life here as the most important elements.

“Kanayi's sculptures are the ones which were constantly in public view and communicated with the common people. Yakshi is a work of perfection that brought alive the strength of the anatomy. There were many who classified it as obscene. It all depends on the one who is looking at it. We have mistaken nudity as obscene. This is something which we inherited from the British. But, the Western world has moved ahead beyond such regressive thoughts, while we are still stuck in the 17th century. We are slowly learning,” said the filmmaker.

Mr. Gopalakrishnan also commended Kanayi for the creative use of concrete technology.

“Till Kanayi came along, we were under the assumption that concrete can be used only for constructing bridges or pillars. No one thought beautiful sculptures could be made out of it,” he said.