Rooms up and down the two floors of a building carry artworks made by women on its walls. Before you look closely at the exhibits, you wonder about this space, unusual as it is, springing up in a city area in Thiruvananthapuram. Galleries and museums displaying or selling artworks in the capital city are limited to a few definite spaces, and none of them so big. This one, called Amuseum, was especially created to allow, what one of its founders call a “respectable space” for art. Since March 8, it has been home to an art exhibition exclusively by women who hail from or live in Kerala.
“The works of 26 women are featured there — students and established artists among them,” says Shijo Jacob, head of the Painting Department at the Fine Arts College in Thiruvananthapuram and curator of the show.
On one of the walls is a picture of salwar-wrapped legs with their feet on the bottom rails of the seats in front of them. They are on a bus, you don’t see their faces but you know the posture. Soumya VN’s acrylic paintings capture a few such familiar moments from bus journeys, people balancing themselves precariously on moving buses, people dozing off. On a wall opposite, Nayana KS has captured another set of life moments in watercolour, but her paintings show a single woman in various rooms of a house, her expressions, or lack of it, clearly betraying sadness without tears.
Soumya VN's moments from bus journeys
Nayana KS's depressed woman
“There is no theme, the only criteria was that the women should be able to produce their works from recent years, and this was done in short notice,” Shijo says. You don’t find a recurring theme, or anything remotely similar between the works of any two artists. Jayasree PG’s paintings are shades of red and brown, knit to the earth, while Asha Nandan brings childhood memories to her works. Senior artist Sajitha Shankar has two of the largest paintings in the gallery, turning away from which you find yourself face to face with a mummy-like figure hanging on the opposite wall. The exhibition is not limited to paintings. Sculptures and art installations too, lit up gorgeously from beneath, occupy ample space.
More. But made the rookie mistake of missing the gallery step. pic.twitter.com/1Vkp5SzD3H
— Cris (@cristweets) March 19, 2023
“Light control was one feature we were particular about when we set about to create an art gallery,” says Dr Ajit Kumar, doctor and artist and one of the members of the NGO Amuseum that built the gallery. “The artworks should have a dignified presentation. You can exhibit moderate level paintings on these walls and get an optimal view,” he says.
The inside rooms of the upper floor carry larger paintings, courtesy the work of Bindhi Rajagopal, Athira Bhinduraj, and Deepthi P Vasu. This doesn’t take your attention away from alluring little artworks of Dodsy Antony on a side-wall — pictures of a Heidi-like character idling in nature, and a charming red hut with a tree in its roof.
Athira Bindhuraj's work
Dodsy Antony's miniatures
Among the 26 women, three are from outside Kerala but studying under Shijo in the Fine Arts College. The exhibition, which began on March 8, Women’s Day, will end on Monday, March 20.
“There have been and will be more shows of art and science. This space is meant for both of them,” Dr Ajit says. The floor upstairs opens to a library of books and chairs laid out for anyone to come and relax in. They don’t ask for membership, it is open to all, Ajit says. The space is used for holding talks and small cultural programmes. There is also a tiny café at one end of it.