Textile, mural art comes together to explore ancient maritime links

New Delhi, Sep 9 (PTI) An ongoing exhibition, witnessing collaboration between artists Gunjan Jain and Suresh Muthukulam, brings to life mythical sea creatures, oceanic voyages, and cultural exchanges across shores through a diverse array of mediums -- including textile paintings, woven murals, sculptures, and pieces on canvas and rice paper.

Held at the India Habitat Centre (IHC), "Voyages: The Ancient Maritime Silk Route" draws inspiration from the historic maritime trade and cultural exchanges between the coastal regions of Odisha and Kerala in South India and the countries of Southeast Asia.

Curated by Jaya Mani, the exhibition serves as a modern-day ‘voyage of discovery’ for artists Gunjan Jain and Suresh Muthukulam, blending tradition and imagination through a rich visual narrative.

"Collaborating on the theme of voyages was an exciting experience, as it celebrated the rich maritime trade history between Odisha and Southeast Asian countries. Kerala, too, shares a similarly illustrious past of trading textiles and spices with Southeast Asia in exchange for gold.

"Beyond this shared trade heritage, both Kerala and Odisha are coastal states with strikingly similar landscapes, flora, and fauna -- elements that deeply influence both our artistic practices and created a natural synergy in our work," said the Delhi-based textile artist and designer Jain.

Jain and Muthukulam's creative journey began in Kerala in 2022, where an engaging dialogue between mural art and textile weaving first unfolded, with the theme of maritime voyages emerging as the perfect “anchor” for their collaborative exploration.

The 20 artworks explore themes of migration -- both voluntary, like the ancient trade voyages, and forced, as seen today due to natural disasters like floods -- and reimagine mythical figures from Indian art as fantastical beings in underwater realms, blending history, mythology, and imagination.

"As artists, we’ve reimagined the journeys of ancient seafarers and traders -- what it might have felt like to spend months at sea. These experiences have been translated into a contemporary context through our artworks.

"For instance, one of my art pieces, which I call 'The Hallucinating Sea', is created using Ikat yarns. It features an abstract, solitary boat and evokes the shimmering surface of the sea -- like sunlight dancing on water, reflecting a pearlescent texture, almost like a Banarasi KimKhab saree unfurled across the waves," she explained.

Muthukulam, who trained rigorously in the Kerala mural tradition before expanding into contemporary forms on canvas, rice paper, and wood, shared insights into his practice.

He explained that this style follows the 'Pancha Varna' (five-colour) scheme—red, ochre yellow, leaf green, black, and white -- and is rooted in the 'Pancha Bhoota' (five elements) philosophy, where each color symbolically represents different characters.

"Unlike modern painting techniques that use perspective and color blending, Kerala mural relies on flat composition, defined linework, and a disciplined use of pure, unmixed colors," he added.

"Voyages: The Ancient Maritime Silk Route" will come to a close on Tuesday. PTI MG BK BK