KOCHI: At the East India Street Cafe, Panampilly Nagar, the art group Magic showcased the paintings of four artists. Amal Joy, Thebzeera Valiyakath and Priyam Saini were exhibiting their works for the first time. “The exhibition was aimed at giving space to these budding artists,” says Reema Singh, the curator of Magic Events, which organised the show.
Amal, a 22-year-old mechanical engineer, is a self-taught artist who got interested in art a few years ago. He started with pencil drawings but now experiments with micro-art, sculpting, and wall art. Deeply fascinated by colours, acrylic painting remains his first love and he hopes to continue creating more works.
Thebzeera, a 26-year-old software engineer from Malappuram, started painting only six months ago. She loves creating landscapes and abstracts by using different media. Thebzeera is setting an example of how to follow your passion while being in a full-time job.
Priyam Saini, 28, an independent artist from Delhi, quit her banking job some time ago to follow her passion. What was supposed be a brief trip to Kerala turned into an extended stay as she fell in love with God’s own country. Her work draws inspiration from nature and has a spiritual undertone. When she is not creating paintings, Priyam takes art classes for children, a job she loves and finds creative fulfilment.
Reema says “We at Magic aim to provide an affordable platform to creative enthusiasts from all fields to encourage their artistic proclivities. There is a lot of raw talent which gets unnoticed because of a lack of a formal degree or certification. Anne Sajeev, the promoter of East India Street Cafe, believes in our concept and supports our venture. We at MAGIC hope to make dreams come alive.”