KASARGOD: After months of relentless toil, Kerala’s master sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman has completed his sculpture on Endosulfan victims on the Kasaragod district panchayat office premises. The district panchayat has termed it as a gesture of reconciliation for the state-made disaster.
The sculpture, titled Victims, depicts two children with oversized heads and arms – the effects of Endosulfan aerial spraying – clinging to their helpless mother, a 40-ft tall structure, which is another cubic structure titled ‘freedom’. Other notable works of his include Yakshi at Malampuzha dam and Sagarakanyaka at Shankhumukham beach.
Victim, Kanayi’s tallest sculpture yet, took 18 years for completion. Though the-then district panchayat president M V Balakrishnan reached out to Kanayi in 2006 to create an artwork in Kasaragod, the project commenced only in 2008 due to several hindrances, including regime change.
“He is glad that he could finally complete the project. The work was stalled several times due to various factors like the Covid-19 pandemic, floods etc,” said Kanayi’s wife Nalini, who was instrumental in completing this structure after Kanayi’s health started deteriorating last year.
With age also catching up, Kanayi, now 87, was determined to complete his work. The couple worked with a team of workers from Nagercoil to complete the structure, barring the scorching summer heat. A crane was used to help Kanayi instruct his crew on the nuances of completing the final touches.
The district panchayat has called for a meeting on May 14 to discuss the landscaping around the sculpture. The local body opines that proper landscaping is required before the artwork is opened to the public. “Kanayi has only selected works in Kerala. This is his tallest creation in Kerala and is also unique as it has used methods of cubism. We want to develop this into a popular hangout spot and a tourist hotspot for our district,” said district panchayat president Sabu Abraham.
The project cost is estimated to be around `63 lakh, though final estimation is yet to be made. Kanayi has not charged any fee for his artwork but collected only his crew’s wages.
The local body has decided to inaugurate the artwork to the public in July. “We are convening a meeting with all stakeholders, including the district collector and Kanayi, to discuss the landscaping. We are also looking for sponsors, including corporate companies, who could help us with the landscaping,” Sabu added.
Over the years
The district planning committee approves the project to create a sculpture by Kanayi Kunhiraman in 2006, allocating D20 lakh
Kanayi proposes to build a sculpture for Endosulfan victims. Work commences in 2008
Work gets stalled after LDF loses control of the district panchayat
LDF wrests the local body back in 2010, but Kanayi gets busy with other projects
He restarts the work in 2019 after the UDF-led district panchayat persuades him. However, work gets stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic towards the end of 2019
He takes up the work again in December 2024, but suffers a fall at his house in 2025
He resumes work in 2026 still struggling with the fall and issues of old age, but completes the sculpture