At Mary Samual’s Unbound art exhibition in Thiruvananthapuram, the mortal and the magical mingle

At Mumbai-based artist Mary Samual’s debut exhibition, ‘Unbound’, the magical, the mortal, and the all-encompassing Nature interact through 25 paintings. The works, inspired by artist-writer Jayakrishnan’s Chithrakathayil Avante Bhoothangal, a magical realist graphic novel, are currently on display at the Alliance Française de Trivandrum, Vazhuthacaud.

The exhibition, curated by filmmaker K.P. Sreekrishnan, was not born out of a deliberate attempt to do so while reading the book, the artist said. “I was only introduced to art during the pandemic. I continued taking classes for three years and was figuring myself out as an artist. At this juncture, a friend suggested this book to me. And one of the situations in the novel inspired me to paint,” said Ms. Samual, pointing to one of the artworks, depicting a character traversing a turbulent sea on a boat made of roots.

Mr. Jayakrishnan came across the painting and reached out to the artist to illustrate a specific scenario in the text he could not depict. Ms. Samual completed the assignment and painted nearly six paintings in total, which were supposed to be displayed at the novel’s release event in 2024.

However, due to personal reasons, she could not participate in the programme. But she continued to work on other paintings inspired by the novel. The artist finished 25 works by September last year. “We even planned an exhibition together. But that did not actualise either,” she added.

Works on display at ‘Unbound’ art exhibition in Alliance Française de Trivandrum, Vazhuthacaud.
| Photo Credit:
Nainu Oommen

The acrylic and water colour paintings, accompanied by passages from the Malayalam novel and their English translations, interact intermittently. Shadows, flowers, rough waters and a constant conversation between the living and metaphysical appear as leitmotifs across the showcase.

Ms. Samual, a language professional at an IT firm, said: “These works are my independent interpretation of the novel. The text does not follow a linear narrative structure, letting the readers have their own interpretations. Owing to Mr. Jayakrishnan’s artistic background, it is visually rich, and inspires you to create more works.”

Unbound is on at Alliance Française de Trivandrum, Vazhuthacaud till September 23. Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.