ERODE: I believe in art with a purpose, and a socially-responsible artist, can educate and empower communities all over the world,” says artist Karthikeyan Pitchaimallian. True to his word and on a quest to give back to society, the self-taught artist, along with a group of budding artists, is creating a tribal eco-cultural village in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) to preserve human history and its collective emotions.
A project initiated by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department and STR aims to establish a museum spread over 15 acres in Karachikorai near Bhavanisagar Dam, which will have models of people, articles, handicrafts and other elements representing the lifestyle of tribals of STR and the Nilgiris. A Chennai-based artist, Karthikeyan is the creative director of the project and leads a team of 15 artists, who are students at Barathiyar Palkalaikoodam.
The project is coordinated by PV Prabhakaran, professor of the institution. The work to construct the museum, which will represent seven communities, Paniya, Irula, Kurumbha, Kota, Oorali, Kattynayakka and Toda, started in October 2019. Speaking to TNIE, Karthikeyan said, “We spent the initial three months trying to learn about these communities. In every settlement, we spent up to six days recording the details of evolution of their facial features, dressing, and other articles. We also recorded the tribal languages and other traditions.”
Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association programme coordinator and secretary of tribal welfare association Pushpakumar extended his support to the team of artists for their research. “Since the tribes are a closed community, especially the ones that are in the interior forest are not open to outsiders, I guided them to the settlements. I helped the artists document the uniqueness of each tribe without any inconvenience to the tribals,” stated Pushpakumar, adding that the artists worked dedicatedly and consciously to document the highlights of the communities.
So far, over 60 sculptures have been completed and every work highlights a unique trait of each tribe. Among the artworks is a 25-feet model of a tribal person standing, which captures all the unique elements. Karthikeyan said the sculptures are made of clay, plaster of paris and cast fibreglass. Once a model is ready, they paint and install it on site. Karthikeyan has also been trying to teach the importance of creating socially-responsible art to youngsters who are pursuing visual arts. Around 15 college students from Puducherry were also involved in this project in various phases.
One of them, Shivaraman, said, “We have worked in several projects in cities but sculpting for tribals was a different experience. I realised how art can be helpful in preserving the heritage of communities. This also taught us how to make a contribution to society,” he added. PV Prabhakar, professor, Barahtiyar Palkalaikoodam, said this project has taught students to make socially-responsible art that can also educate the masses. “When people visit the centre they learn about the people living inside the forests and of animals in these regions,” he added.
During the lockdown, the team had to halt work for a few months but soon resumed with limited resources once the lockdown was relaxed. They involved the local people of the village and some tribals to provide them with a livelihood as many of them did not have a job due to the lockdown. Apart from this, Karthikeyan has been doing research on elephants in the Western Ghats for over 10 years. He has been using his art as a medium to communicate the importance of elephants in the ecosystem. “I also wish to spread awareness about them, which will reduce man-animal conflict and create an environment where both can co-habit the earth peacefully,” he stated.