At ‘unbound’ art exhibition in Thiruvananthapuram, the mortal and the magical mingle

At Mumbai-based artist Mary Samual’s debut exhibition, ‘Unbound’, the magical, the mortal, and the all-encompassing Nature interact through 25 paintings. The works, inspired by artist-writer Jayakrishnan’s Chithrakathayil Avante Bhoothangal , a magical realist graphic novel, are currently on display at the Alliance Française de Trivandrum , Vazhuthacaud.

The exhibition, curated by filmmaker K.P. Sreekrishnan, was not born out of a deliberate attempt to do so while reading the book, the artist said. “I was only introduced to art during the pandemic. I continued taking classes for three years and was figuring myself out as an artist. At this juncture, a friend suggested this book to me. And one of the situations in the novel inspired me to paint,” said Ms. Samual, pointing to one of the artworks, depicting a character traversing a turbulent sea on a boat made of roots.