After a lull in Kerala’s artistic arena due to the Corona pandemic, an intervention by the Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy seems to have brought in hope and renewed expectation to the state’s beleaguered art fraternity.

A state of the art modern art gallery has been opened on the first floor of the DC Kizhakkemury Idam (space) in Kottayam on the 27th of October, 2020. The gallery and an exhibition of art were inaugurated by the Hon. Minister of Culture, A.K.Balan. The function was presided over by Nemom Pushparaj, Chairman, Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy. P.V.Balan, Secretary, Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy, K.A.Francis, former Chairman, KLKA, Ravi DeeCee, eminent publisher, Balamuralikrishnan, Executive committee member, KLKA and the curator of the exhibition, T.R.Udayakumar.

The walls on the sides of the stairway leading to the gallery have been adorned by the works of two of Kerala’s most illustrious artists – Raja Ravi Varma and K.C.S.Panikkar. Besides original works and printed copies, journals and books on art published by the Academy are on sale here.

The exhibition titled “Winds of Colours” continues till the 27th of November, 2020. Visitors are expected to strictly adhere to the COVID protocol in force. The exhibition consists of 40 works of art by 27 eminent artists from the district of Kottayam. The participants are K.S.Radhakrishnan, K.A.Francis, Babu Xavier, Sajitha.R.Sankar, Shijo Jacob, M.T.Jayalal, T.S.Prasad, K.S.Prasadkumar, Baiju Neendoor, A.K.Sivadas, Biju.C.Bharathan, Joshi, Sanu Ramakrishnan, V.S.Madhu, Mopasang Valath, Sunil Lines. D, Saji Raphael, Rajappan Achari, Shine Kollad, Helna Merin Joseph, Ammu.S, Mahesh, Ambish Kumar, Hariprasad, and Ashiq. Eminent personalities like the President of the Kochi Muziris Bienniale Foundation, Mr. Bose Krishnamachari, visited the exhibition. The exhibition ends an eight-month-old pandemic enforced isolation of Kerala’s art fraternity from gallery spaces.

Bose Krishnamachari, President, Kochi Muziris Biennale Foundation, at the gallery

Published in 2020

Author
Mr. Hariharan Subrahmanian