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yakshi at malampuzha dam garden palakkad
Around 40 years ago, Kanayi Kunhiraman began erecting sculptures in public places and since then he has been living with controversies. Right from the beginning, he provoked the public conscience and aesthetics and generated debates on the morality of his works.
His first major sculpture in concrete, “Yakshi” in Malampuzha Dam gardens in Palakkad district, was completed 40 years ago. It is a huge imposing 30-feet structure created against the backdrop of the Western Ghats and the expanse of the reservoir.
Yakshi was condemned as obscene; a deviation from existing forms of sculpture. In fact, it was the first time that a nude female sculpture was erected outside the temples. Kanayi always excelled in female forms because, to him, woman represented mother, nature and power. He has adhered to this principle drawing copiously from heritage, myth and folklore.
Modern sculptures
During his training in Chennai, he sculpted “Amma” (1960), which won laurels at the national level. Kanayi’s passion for huge sculptures was well known and one of his teachers sent him to Palakkad for the path-breaking “Yakshi”.
To him, “Yakshi” was the personification and installation of the Mother Goddess of the evacuated tribal people in that area. It won him both laurels as the first modern piece of sculpture and criticism.
Kanayi was exposed to modernism at the College of Fine Arts, Chennai, and later at the Slade School of Arts in London, where he studied on a Commonwealth Scholarship. He experimented with theme and the language of plasticity of sculpture.
Carving a niche for himself, he has built larger-than-life sculptures: the 105-feet ‘Saagrakanyaka” in concrete at Shankhumukham beach near Thiruvananthapuram airport is gigantic.
Recently he has ventured into sculpting words, proving that he is adept in creating images with writing as well. His poems are more evocative and allegorical than his sculptures in concrete, metal and other media.
Kanayi believes that art can be used for social transformation if art works are erected in public places and are secular. With this objective of social change, Kanayi settled down in his native land, forsaking the exposure and recognition that he could have got in bigger cities.
Because of his uncompromising and passionate efforts, people are now aware of the value and importance of sculptures in public places.
yakshi at malampuzha dam garden palakkad
Around 40 years ago, Kanayi Kunhiraman began erecting sculptures in public places and since then he has been living with controversies. Right from the beginning, he provoked the public conscience and aesthetics and generated debates on the morality of his works.
His first major sculpture in concrete, “Yakshi” in Malampuzha Dam gardens in Palakkad district, was completed 40 years ago. It is a huge imposing 30-feet structure created against the backdrop of the Western Ghats and the expanse of the reservoir.
Yakshi was condemned as obscene; a deviation from existing forms of sculpture. In fact, it was the first time that a nude female sculpture was erected outside the temples. Kanayi always excelled in female forms because, to him, woman represented mother, nature and power. He has adhered to this principle drawing copiously from heritage, myth and folklore.
Modern sculptures
During his training in Chennai, he sculpted “Amma” (1960), which won laurels at the national level. Kanayi’s passion for huge sculptures was well known and one of his teachers sent him to Palakkad for the path-breaking “Yakshi”.
To him, “Yakshi” was the personification and installation of the Mother Goddess of the evacuated tribal people in that area. It won him both laurels as the first modern piece of sculpture and criticism.
Kanayi was exposed to modernism at the College of Fine Arts, Chennai, and later at the Slade School of Arts in London, where he studied on a Commonwealth Scholarship. He experimented with theme and the language of plasticity of sculpture.
Carving a niche for himself, he has built larger-than-life sculptures: the 105-feet ‘Saagrakanyaka” in concrete at Shankhumukham beach near Thiruvananthapuram airport is gigantic.
Recently he has ventured into sculpting words, proving that he is adept in creating images with writing as well. His poems are more evocative and allegorical than his sculptures in concrete, metal and other media.
Kanayi believes that art can be used for social transformation if art works are erected in public places and are secular. With this objective of social change, Kanayi settled down in his native land, forsaking the exposure and recognition that he could have got in bigger cities.
Because of his uncompromising and passionate efforts, people are now aware of the value and importance of sculptures in public places.