Kerala Arts

The earliest known form of artistic expression in Kerala art were cave paintings, engraved and painted in caverns and rock shelters. The first available evidence of this Kerala art belonged to the Neolithic period at Marayoor and Edakkal. Kerala also has a rich mural heritage dating back to the 8th century. It may surprise many to know that in India, in its wealth of mural paintings and archeologically important mural sites, Kerala stands second only to Rajasthan.

Kerala Mural art

These early wall paintings were characterized by their linear accuracy, adherence to color sensitive portrayal of emotions. Kerala Mural art employed natural color, extracted from plants and minerals applied on a specifically prepared surface. The murals were far from realistic since themes were generally episodes from the epics, where hyperbole was the norm. As rock cut temples gave way to more formal structures, Kerala mural art too acquired more technical finesse; such art is found in the Thrissur and Kottayam regions. With the advent of Christianity, Kerala Mural art stated adorning the walls of Churches as well.

The period between the 13th and 16th centuries saw Mural art flourished in Kerala. The mural arts in the temples of Thrivikramapuram, Kanthalor, the Ramayana murals of Mattancherry Palace, the paintings in the Chemmanthitta Shiva Temple and Thodeekulam in Kannur are all believed to have been completed during the medieval period.

Mural remained the major form of artistic expression for many centuries. However, since mural art, Kerala found expression only on the walls of temples and palaces, its reach was confined to a small segment of the population.

Paintings (Raja Ravi Varma)

A new era in the history of paintings in Kerala was initiated by Raja Ravi Varma (1848- 1906) by adopting the techniques of the Western school and applying them to traditional subjects,. He used the scientific apparatus of perspective, chiaroscuro, anatomy, proportion and other aids of realistic paintings, something that Indian art was devoid of. Raja Ravi Varma initiated a new movement of oil paintings on canvas. Influenced by the Western tradition of art, he brought to life portraits and dramatic scenes from Hindu mythology and imbued them with three dimensional qualities.

Hamsa-Damayanthi, Court of Virata, there comes papa, Yasoda with Krishna, Musicians, Milkmaid, Sakuntala, Sairendri Lady in the Moonlight are just some of the well known creations.

Post Independence

Many tried to emulate Ravi Varma, but few ventured to chart new frontiers. It was during the post Independence period that Kerala arts broke the shackles of tradition. Notable in this attempt was the work of K Madhavan Menon, who took to portraying landscapes, flora and fauna, that reflected a strong flavor.

KCS Panicker, who came to the art scene of South India during the late 1940s, was a great inspiration to the artists of Kerala and Tamil Nadu who were trying to create a new artistic idiom. In the 50s, Pannikkar’ paintings were largely surrealistic expressions of human emotions. The artists’ village Cholamandalam, established by him on the outskirts of Chennail, is a testimony to the vision of the man.

The 60s saw artists like CK Ra (CK Ramakrishnan Nair), Chirayankeezh Sreekantan Nair, G Rajendran and K Devadathan in the Thiruvanathapuram artists circuit.

MV Devan, KV Haridasan, CN Karunakara, Nambudiri, Kanayi Kunhirama, to mention a few, have carved out their own artistic space, with no baggage of Western influences. Artist, illustrator and architect, MV Devan, used ‘humanism’ as the publication Mathrubhumi as an illustrator, Devan set up the Kerala Kalagraman in New Mahe in the 90s. A prominent figure among the post 1947 modern artists of Kerala is KV Haridasn who introduced the neo tantra style.

Chiselling out the artistic sensibilities is sculptor, Kanayi Kunhiraman, who believes that a craftsman must possess a profound awareness of the world. The awe inspiring Yakshi at Malampuzha gardens in Palakkad and the Sagarakanyaka on Shankhumugham beach in Thiruvananthapuram are truly representative of his philosophy.

Contemporary Art

Another artist schooled in the KCS tradition, Vasudevan Namboodiri’s illustrations and line drawings are interesting for their depth. Even to the casual viewer, his line drawings with Spartan sketches, pack a whole world of emotions and ethos within them.

A Ramachandran, his paintings carry the influence of the traditional motifs of temples, palaces and festivals and transcend the limited space of Kerala in choice of subjects.

Some contemporary artists have attained fame and recognition outside Kerala. Notable among them are Yusuf Arakkal, Balan Nambiar and Achuthan Koodalur. Arakkal’s paintings are both abstract as well as with figures and faces. His sculptures capture the moods of humble stoic silence. Balan Nambiar’s rare enamel paintings and his stainless steel sculptures have carved a niche in the region of modern art in Kerala. On the other hand

Other Cultural Activities In Kerala

Kerala Music || Kerala Theatre