KOCHI: With paintings of astronaut Sunita Williams, Mother Teresa, and Malala Yousafzai alongside depictions of women of the suburban islands striving to earn their livelihood, the wall of the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) office on Queen’s Walkway has been transformed to pay tribute to the strength and resilience of women.
“This is one of the most busy walkways in the city, and the GIDA office is the only major building in the area. We planned to make the building attractive by highlighting the history of the Goshree islands. The then chief minister, who was also the chairman of GIDA, had cleared the proposal. However, following a proposal from Zion Creations, we decided to paint the building on a theme of women’s empowerment,” said Reghuram, secretary of GIDA, adding that more walls will be similarly painted to make the building more attractive.
With its beautiful setting and calm environment, the building has also been attracting youngsters and social media influencers. The paintings are the work of artists with Kochi-based Zion Creations.
Mansoor Ali of Zion Creations said that the works aim to honour women. “We have been planning a women’s empowerment initiative and painted the building with the photos of successful women on it.
To make the area more attractive, we made a few plots around the building too. With the completion of the work, the area looks more attractive and draws more people,” he said.
The artwork also portrays the rich cultural heritage and history of the Goshree islands, which include Vypeen, Vallarpadam and Bolgatty. “The building has become a major attraction on the walkway,” Reghuram said.
According to Mansoor, Kochi needs more aesthetic spots. “We should make our walls beautiful. In the age of social media trends, youngsters are on the lookout for picturesque locations. We need to provide them more spaces without notices and accumulated waste. The walls of the city should capture the history of Kochi and our shared humanity,” he added.