KOCHI: With his chiselled touch, he brings characters to life using pieces of wood. Karikkakom Thrivikraman owns a degree in Ivory and Wood Carving from the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram. It was his father Bhaskaran Shasthrikal, a kathakali artist, who brought Thrivikraman to the world of art.
Thrivikraman, who is a pro in the field of sculpting, carves pacha, kathi, thaadi, kari and minukku characters in kathakali with perfection. “I got a chance to do ‘chutti’ for my father in my ‘arangettam’, and that is how it all began,” said Thrivikraman.His expertise is not limited to the field of sculpting. He has a diploma in drawing-painting and he also teaches drums at the Karikkakom Sree Chamundi Kalapeedam. “While sculpting or painting I focus on minute details. For example, the jewellery, costumes and colours used. My wife also helps me by stitching costumes for my sculptures,” he added.
Thrivikrman points out that the art of sculpting is not easy. “It needs immense patience, love and dedication towards the art form,” said Thrivikraman. Presenting his journey, in a nutshell, is a short film ‘Kadhakali Veedu’, directed by Prahlad Gopakumar. “The short film can be viewed on YouTube. It talks about the traditional kathakali characters and sculpting,” he added. Thrivikraman received a state-level award for his exquisite work in ‘Wooden Kathakali With Original Costumes’.
The same was selected for the purpose during the 33rd All India Handicrafts Week Celebrations in 1988, by the Handicrafts Development Corporation of Kerala Ltd.Thrivikrman sculpted five kathakali characters recently for the police headquarters and received appreciation from Lokanath Behera, State police chief. “There are nine sculptures displayed at the Thampuran Memorial Museum, Kotarakkara, including dance forms like mohiniyattam and kuchippudi,” he added. currently works on sculpting a series of sculptures from Duryodhana Vadham, Mahabharatha. “I am planning to sculpt the entire story through 501 sculptures, scene by scene within two years,” he added.