When art takes centre stage

KOCHI: Being an art and craft teacher at a public school is perhaps the most underrated profession considering the educational system in India. Many school managements consider art as a subordinate subject. However, Teach Art Kochi, an association of over 163 art instructors from across Kerala and parts of West Asia, is trying to change that. Started over 10 years ago, the association has been at the forefront in recognising the efforts of teachers working in unaided schools and providing them with a community platform. As part of this endeavour, the association is hosting an exhibition comprising works of 86 of its members at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery until Thursday. 

“When the association started in 2008, we only had a few teachers from Kochi as members. Now our presence spans across countries. This exhibition is a huge milestone as we are able to display the works of so many of our members. For some, this is their first exhibition,” says Chandrababu R K, coordinator, Teach Art Kochi. The association has also decided to present the C N Karunakaran Memorial Award to Thomas Kurishingal of Marthoma Public School. The best Art and Craft teacher awards were given to Manoj Brahmamangalam working at Amrita Vidyalayam, Perumbavoor, and Lathadevi N B from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Thrissur. Pramod Gopalakrishnan, an independent artist, was declared as the best sculptor.

“The theme of the exhibition is broadly about various types of environmental pollution. Some works focus on the plight of farmers resulting from the depletion of nature while others deal with the floods. The paintings touch on various pertinent issues,” says Chandrababu. Apart from artworks by teachers, around 20 paintings of students have also been displayed. These were selected from an art workshop conducted by the association in April.