Kochi: With colours as rich and layered as its mythology, the epic mural artwork titled ‘Parayi Peta Pantheerukulam’ by artist P.K. Sadanandan has already turned heads and prompted questions at the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB). It will now inspire students of Aided Mappila Upper Primary School (AMUPS) in Malappuram district. An image of a section of the wall art – illustrating the story of ‘Naranath Pranthan’ – will adorn the cover of a notebook to be distributed to 2,000 students at the school. The book, designed by Art by Children (ABC) – the unique art education initiative by the Kochi Biennale Foundation, was released on Saturday at the Pavilion in Cabral Yard, Fort Kochi. The function saw Sadanandan hand over the first copy to an AMUPS student.
“Promoting art education, at a number of levels, has become one of the foundation’s primary concerns. Launching a specially designed notebook cover is an engaging way to attract students and make them aware of art practices,” said KBF Secretary Riyas Komu. While some schools already bring out similar books, the pictures are limited to annual day gatherings or committee meetings, said Manu Jose, who heads the ABC programme. “Every student today goes through a minimum of seven notebooks. If we print different artworks and introduce different artists through such books, that is a considerable art education effort. We can even introduce artists according to age groups,” Jose said.
Inside the book’s front jacket is a short biography about Sadanandan while the rear cover has an image of the wall art’s evolution over KMB 2016. The artist said that the initiative is a novel way to get children to engage with both the practice of mural painting and traditional stories. The initiative reflects the continuing relationship between AMUPS and the ABC project, which conducted the first of its innovative art engagement workshops at the school in November. Noting that the notebooks would be circulated to students from classes 1-7, AMUPS headmaster T. Gopalakrishnan said, “This specially designed book will be a diary for the students, in which year-long activities and holidays will be listed. This will prompt the students to refer to the book for at least one year if not longer.”
