The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi on Tuesday organised a novel caricature drawing event in front of the Secretariat to raise funds for the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.
The event was part of the Akademi’s ‘Kala karunekku vendi’ series of programmes that was aimed at raising funds to assist people whose lives were turned upside down by the recent natural disaster. It saw 27 cartoonists and caricaturists draw people to encourage them to contribute to the fund.
The programme was inaugurated by cartoonist-designer P.V. Krishnan. Ratheesh Ravi, who drew Mr. Krishnan, said the programme was being organised in association with the Kerala Cartoon Academy. Mr. Ravi, a cartoonist and freelance caricaturist, said the programme was meant to encourage the public to do their bit for the relief fund and in return walk away with their portrait or caricature on paper.
An auction of a sculpture by Davinchi Suresh was also held. Made with an iron frame and polyfoam and fibre-cated and gold-ainted, the sculpture was completed in five days. Mr. Suresh, who hit the headlines with his clay sculpture of tribal youth Madhu, said he attempted to portray the rescue efforts undertaken by fishermen and the Armed forces. He also expressed the desire to make a life-size sculpture in cement on the rescue operations.
Noushad Vellalassery, a drawing teacher from Kozhikode and illustrator for a children’s magazine, was among the artists who painted Minister for Ports Kadannappally Ramachandran who had dropped in to interact with the artists. The Minister also put pen to paper to give rein to his creativity. Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan and State Police Chief Loknath Behera too visited the venue.
On Wednesday and Thursday, artists such as Kanayi Kunhiraman, Kattoor Narayana Pillai, and B.D. Dethan would take part in a painting event at Museum. An exhibition of those would be held on August 10 and 11 at the Museum, Mr. Pushparaj said. Akademi members and staff were also contributing to the CMDRF and ₹10 lakh might be raised from the activities, he said.
