Art of activism
NAGAPATTINAM: Nagapattinam the saline district on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal is where migratory birds from the Arctic arrive early and Olive Ridley Turtles teem in large numbers to lay their eggs. It also has an art teacher who imaginatively fuses art with activism on the sun-baked beaches and shores of the district.
Along the coast of the New Beach in Nagapattinam, sublime ideas find expression in the powdery strokes and touches of Muthukumar Inbarajan, which is an unrivalled treat for those who visit the beaches on weekends. Muthukumar, who is turning 47 this year, has been creating sand sculptures and art with an emphasis on social issues for the past 20 years now.
Muthukumar finds expression on the sand. His topics range from conservation of endangered species, global warming, and preservation of heritage, to child labour and education of girls. As a teacher at the National Higher Secondary School in Nagore, Muthukumar somehow makes time to set things artistically right at the beach. Years ago, drawing inspiration from the sand art on the beaches of Chennai and Puducherry, he “wondered if similar efforts can be taken up in a lesser-known, yet culturally significant district like Nagapattinam.”
Apart from the view of fishers on trawlers afar and the saline aroma crashing down the shores, a stroll through the beaches in Nagapattinam, for many, retains an inclination to serve society too. That’s how impactful the sand art has turned out for the strollers and inspiration-seekers and they, in turn, preserve his works in the form of selfies and photographs.
Whenever Muthukumar is around, he even explains the meaning and the message of his artworks to those curious enough to spare a moment. Generally, it takes several hours to even a few days to complete a single design, he explains.
From brainstorming sessions to sketching out the plan, marking boundaries at the beach, mounding sand and pouring water into it, the collective effort of a team is unmistakably evident in the forms and figures that shape the world of sand art. For Muthukumar, too, the support of a team is inevitable and that is where his former students enter the scene. M Dinesh Kumar, T Boopalan, T Muthumanickam, P Prasanna and M Abinash, among several others, contribute their part in the process, which includes sculpting the figures and colouring them with powder as well.
And nature too, in its unpredictable ways, plays its part with gusts and rains, especially in a disaster-prone area like this. “When the sand art is ruined by rains or natural causes, I feel a gutting sensation form, especially when the amount of time and energy put into its making is taken into consideration. So, every impactful day I have with my audience is a consolation,” he says.
His efforts garnered him praises from the district administration and various organisations. During the Independence Day celebrations, Collector A Arun Thamburaj presented him with a certificate of appreciation.