From his Bengaluru studio, illustrator Muhammed Sajid spends much of his time thinking about his hometown, Kerala, not its postcard landscapes, but the people who keep everyday life moving. Tea shop owners, bus conductors, fishermen, street vendors and sanitation workers populate Folks From Kerala, an ongoing online illustration series. The project recently earned him a spot on the AoI Awards 2026 shortlist, bringing international attention to coastal stories.
In Bengaluru, Sajid found the space to revisit the series with fresh eyes while being a visual designer. The latest body of work departs from the realism of the original 2018 series, introducing surreal imagery growing from subjects’ lives. Sharing the starting point, he says, “I spend time understanding the person’s expression, habits, profession and small details that make them unique. From there, I choose objects, colours and visual elements that naturally connect instead of forcing metaphors.”
Spending time with his subjects has also altered his own understanding of home. While visitors often associate Kerala with backwaters and beaches, Sajid believes its identity is carried just as much by everyday interactions that rarely make it into travel brochure. “It’s the tea shop conversations, the bus conductor who knows everyone, the fisherman heading out before sunrise, the woman who cleans the roads before the city wakes up and the security guard who quietly watches over a building every day,” he says, stressing that they remind him that ‘culture lives in people, and preserving their stories is just as important as preserving its landmarks’.
Colour became another storytelling device with saturated pinks, electric blues and vivid greens echoing hand-painted lorries, circus posters and neighbourhood signboards. Being shortlisted for the award affirmed that local stories can resonate far away but the response from viewers who recognise family members, neighbours or familiar faces in his portraits has been equally rewarding. Some have even framed and displayed his work in local shops. “I see it as a sign that the series has connected with people,” he says.
Looking ahead, Sajid hopes Folks from Kerala will continue growing into a larger archive and eventually a public exhibition. He remains committed to telling stories without altering them for international audiences. “Every place has its own everyday heroes. While my stories are rooted in Kerala, the emotions like hard work, dignity, resilience and community are universal. If someone discovers Kerala through my work, that’s incredibly meaningful to me,” Sajid hopes.