Artworks by Mohan Prajapati (miniature art), Sai Kiran (Cheriyal), Adarsh Appukuttan (Kerala mural) and Sudhir Innakallu (Kalamkari) find a place in Katha, a community-run Indian mural festival.
Kalamkari and Kerala murals, Cheriyal scrolls and miniature art… What is Indian art doing on the walls of Hong Kong?
Bold, colorful strokes told Indian stories as part of Katha, a community-run Indian mural festival held recently. The festival, a collaboration between Gurugram-based art start-up Memeraki and Hong Kong-based NGO HKWalls Murals, showcases works by Indian artists Mohan Prajapati (miniature art), Sai Kiran (Cheriyal), Adarsh Appukuttan (Kerala mural) and Sudhir Innakallu. Is. (Kalamkari).
Katha Azadi Ka Amrit is a showcase event for the festival and has been made possible with the support of the Consulate General of India in Hong Kong, said Yosha Gupta, founder of Memeraki.
With COVID-induced travel restrictions in place, artists could not execute the works in person, so instead sent their artworks to Hong Kong, where they were met by Hong Kong artists Ahmed Rida Nisar, Aaron Tse, Ruby Law and Shweta Rastogi Rebuilt on Walls by. 51 Sai Street, Rich View Terrace, Sheung Wan, Hollywood Road and Hyung Yip Road – Sitting out area.
Communicating via email, Sydney-based Yosha described the narrative as a wonderful way to showcase Indian art and heritage on a global scale. “It puts the spotlight on our master artists in a new, collaborative and fun way; the festival has engaged the community with many people volunteering and participating to paint together. Seeing Hong Kong artists as well It was fascinating for those who are not familiar with complex Indian arts and recreated it so beautifully.” For Urmi, a native of Palakkad in Kerala and now a volunteer artist living in Hong Kong, the temple paintings bring back memories of her childhood He is delighted that art has come to Hong Kong ‘especially at a time when home sickness has reached its peak without any relief.’
the artist speaks
- Mohan Prajapati
- I was a little worried because this is the first time that I was not painting but someone else was painting my work. My inspiration comes from old Mughal artefacts that look beautiful even as a modern mural. I don’t mind not going to Hong Kong because safety is paramount now. I am always proud and I cherish this moment. We were concerned about how the arts would survive the pandemic, but thanks to these initiatives, there are new ways to take the arts to more people.
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- Sai Kiran
- I wondered if Hong Kongers would appreciate the Cherial art which is rich in local motifs and also worried whether the artists there could paint the distinctive style of art, but seeing the mural filled my heart with pride . They have followed the process and done it well like the original Cheriyal cast. Although we couldn’t travel, the video told our stories.
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- Sudhir Innakallu
- It was a challenge to make the artwork and send it to Hong Kong as it was raining incessantly in Chittoor. There was no power so it was difficult to prepare everything in time for the event. My artwork is inspired by Tree of Life. I am thankful to Hong Kong artists that they painted murals so well and Kalamkari art is not easy. I was also sad that I could not go in person as this would have been my first international trip.
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- Adarsh Appukuttan
- I used traditional motifs, patterns and a color palette for the Kerala mural. I did not face any difficulty while painting and sending it. I would have loved to go to Hong Kong and describe the artwork myself, but given the situation, we did what was best. I am very proud and happy that local artists from Hong Kong have done a mural like Kerala
The size of the murals varies, with the Cheriyal scroll at 9.54X2 m and the Kalamkari leading the group at 6.34 X 2.77 m. MeMeraki and the artists brainstormed to narrow down the ideas that worked best for the walls based on their size. “We at Kalamkari try to incorporate the most iconic motifs of each style of art such as the tree of life, which includes peacocks, birds and flowers, arches and irises from Mughal miniature art, peacocks with ornate motifs in murals from Kerala and a Typical rural village scene. Cherial from Art,” shares Yosha.
The first edition of Katha began in 2020 with murals in Hong Kong by artists Anil Wangad (Warli), Venkat Shyam (Gond art), Apindra Swain (Patachitra) and Ranjit Jha (Madhubani). “The Madhubani murals were a beautiful amalgamation of India and Hong Kong with the Hong Kong skyline painted in Madhubani motifs,” she recalls.
It is a proud moment for Mohan, Sai Kiran, Adarsh and Sudhir as this is their first international performance. While Mohan from Jaipur, Rajasthan has been a miniature practicing artist for the past 40 years, Hyderabad-based Sai Kiran is a fourth generation Cheriyal scroll artist from his family. Adarsh, from Attapady village in Palakkad, Kerala, was trained in Kerala mural art from the Mural Institute run by Guruvayur Devaswom and has also worked on several art conservation projects and Sudhir, a third generation Kalamkari artist and his wife, from Chittoor district. From Kalahasti. Andhra Pradesh works with over 40 other women Kalamkari artists. Travel restrictions forced the team to record short films on these artists and upload them on their social media channels via introductions.
There are plans to organize events in cafes and restaurants around the artistic walls to create awareness and give opportunities for photoshoots. “Each mural will have a hashtag through which people can discover and learn about it,” says Yosha, who hopes to host the narrative in the form of an Indian mural festival around the world. “My next stop is Sydney, where I just moved six months ago.”
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