SenYenSen Collective’s mural pays homage to wetlands of Coimbatore
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A cheerful mural of yellow, red birds and blue ducks breathes life into a concrete facade at Pullukadu Housing Unit of Ukkadam Art District in Coimbatore. An anthropomorphized fish holds a tender frog in a background of lush flora to depict a possible, harmonious integration of the worlds of humans and wildlife, there are multi-coloured fish, and half-human forms strolling along artistically painted branches. The third edition of St+art India Foundation’s art intervention in Coimbatore themed on wetlands and bio diversity, now open to the public, features three colourful murals painted by artists like House of Berserk, Anha Ras, and Senyensen Collective. With inventive use of colours and vibrant depictions of birds, and water creatures, the murals draw attention to conservation.
Coimbatore is known for its many lakes. Historians often describe the city as a beautiful woman adorned with a garland of navaratnams represented by the lakes of River Noyyal. The river begins its 167 kilometre-long journey from Kooduthurai near Aalandurai and joins the Cauvery near Karur, filling up over 30 tanks along the way. Hundreds of fishermen families depend on the lakes for a livelihood. As the city grew, some of the lakes vanished from the landscape. Of the remaining, most are choked with plastic and industrial waste. However, these water bodies continue to provide a stopover for migratory birds. In fact there have been several rare sightings that have enthused the birding community who fervently hope the lakes remain a biodiversity hotspot .
“Our mural pays homage to the many migratory birds and animals that the wetlands of Coimbatore have been home to for decades,” says artist Atia Sen of the Delhi-based SenYenSen Collective formed by three independent artists – Tan, Atia and Yen. It further reflects on the consequences of the ongoing urbanisation that Coimbatore (and specifically Ukkadam) has witnessed in the recent years. What do these new concrete structures mean for the lives of these migratory birds? The impact of destruction of the natural shorelines that are home to countless waders, and fish? Can we think of ‘development’ that does not negate the environment we inhabit and marginalise the animals who inhabit it with us? “Our mural is a call to each viewer to think along these lines,” adds Atia.
House of Berserk’s art is an expression of coexistence of varied life forms, especially in the digital era
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
House of Berserk is Priyanka Thaker, an architect, illustrator and muralist. Based out of Ahmedabad, she says, House of Berserk is essentially a story-telling studio. The artist’s work is an expression of coexistence of varied life forms, especially in the digital era. “There is a strong narrative in every work and a lot of research goes into building that narrative,” says Priyanka. For Coimbatore, she looks at the flora and fauna, on what exists, what is lost. “There is sense of movement while showing the influx and outgoing birds in migration. While people are shunning the natural world for the digital, Ukkadam ushered me back to the forest,” explains Priyanka adding that she hopes that everyone walking past the murals spares a thought for conservation.
Malaysian street artist Andha Ras, best known for large-scale murals in figurative style, takes inspiration from the rich aquatic life in Tamil Nadu’s wetlands. His subjects are often faces, or the natural world and its inhabitants. “Fish is the main subject in my mural. It is an artist’s impression towards the magical scenery underwater and some of the species of fish that can be found only in the wetlands of Coimbatore. It also shows a man’s figurative gesture of gratitude to the wetlands.” He used blue predominantly to showcase the fresh colour of water. “ I want the mural to brighten up the mood of the community in Ukkadam as when I looked around, all I could see was dull, brown colours.”
Malaysian street artist Andha Ras takes inspiration from the rich aquatic life in Tamil Nadu’s wetlands
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Ukkadam Art District is St+art India’s sixth and the State’s second open-to-all public art gallery. “We have been visiting Coimbatore for the last five years,” says Vikas Nagrare, director for special projects at St+art. The team kick-started the Coimbatore initiative with Kovai Art Trail in 2018, with murals on a number of buildings in the city. They chose Ukkadam, a neglected neighbourhood, to bridge the gap between marginalised communities and the general public. “This year, the project reimagines the city’s natural ecosystem. Coimbatore’s wetlands are a part of city’s identity and its communities, and support sustainability. Our project draws attention to these wetlands, while creating a dialogue around it through art and active community engagement.”
St+art India has been working with Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) and Asian Paints on developing the Ukkadam Art District for three years. “We plan to have murals on every wall at the Pullukadu Housing Unit. And, encourage curated art walks,” says M Prathap IAS, Commissioner of CCMC. He adds, “We want to make Ukkadam, home to 1200 families, a thriving public space for art and artists.”
%20(1).jpg "Kawasaki unveils ZX-4R sportbike")
