Intricate kolams that inspire artistic idiom

Kolam is the soul of Tamil social life, interwoven with its cultural and humane consciousness. Tracing the soul of Tamil Nadu through Kolams and Sangam poetry is what researcher-artist Chantal Jumel has been doing for two decades. Kolams in different patterns, colours and designs has helped her explore the more abstract ideas of the philosophy that propels popular culture in the state.
Jumel talked about her doodles of kolams and the idea of cryptograms, which are paintings or drawings using the written word in a picture format. The conversation turned out to be her art using the symbol of ‘Om’ that she found being used as a meditative practice in Indian culture. "Dance and traditional floor paintings of South India have been a part of my journey ever since I landed here decades ago. I love the vibrant and lesser known arts that unfold in the domestic context such as ephemeral diagrams drawn on thresholds with rice powder. Kolams attain a fresh meaning and perspective in my works," says Jumel, whose works titled ‘Inner landscapes’ are on display at Apparao Galleries in Chennai.

Jumel’s journey through the intricate patterns and designs of kolams and Sangam poems was challenging. In her works, Jumel weaves together the spirit of kolams, ritual designs, images of deities, mantras and spiritual traditions. "I repeatedly use the syllable ‘Om’ as a unique script character to create visual poetry. It is a meditational practice and a celebration of the universal need for connection," said Jumel, who is specialised in Indian visual and performing art.

Jumel has used Sangam poetry as a reference in several works. Her ‘Life Path’ accompanies a Sangam poem: Friends/his seas swell and roar/Making conch shells whirl on the sands/But fishermen ply their little wooden boats/Unafraid of the cold lashes of the waves/Look my bangles slip loose as he leaves/Grow tight as he returns/And they give me away/. "I have used Sangam poems as a reference in some works while moving towards a minimalist approach to the picture that is simple yet dense. The density comes from the repetitive use of the symbol and the simplicity in the translation of ideas," said the Paris-based artist.

Jumel has travelled across the south to know more about the social and cultural practices associated with each place. In Tamil Nadu, she was attracted towards the kolams and Sangam poetry, Kerala offered her its traditional and folk themes. "I used a medium that could communicate my ideas through poems and drawings. The Sangam poems and kolams attain a sophisticated form. And this is what I was looking for," she said.