Brush To Question, Colours To Heal

Time of India

2 days ago

A mid the July rains in Fort Kochi, inside the weathered Dutch-era walls of David Hall, an 81-year-old man in a white kurta and mundu moves gracefully among his paintings. He pauses now and then to greet a visitor or adjust a frame.
At 81, Paris Mohan Kumar radiates the curiosity of someone half his age, his silver hair and long white beard glinting in the sunlight filtering through the colonial arches. But it is his fierce eyes that truly reveal his life's purpose: This is more than just an art show—it's a call to action.
Titled 'Canvas for a Noble Cause', the exhibition is a culmination of Kumar's decades-long journey— rooted in art, grassroots work with tribal and farming communities and a deep bond with nature.
Born in Mahe and shaped by four decades of life in Paris, Kumar wears many identities: Painter, sculptor, environmentalist, organic farmer—and perhaps most tellingly, a storyteller.
The 50 paintings at David Hall reflect the spirit of Wayanad, a region long burdened by ecological neglect and economic marginalization. His works, mostly in oil and acrylic, are populated by azure-hued women—silent, stoic, and unyielding.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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They don't smile; they speak in silence.
One painting, 'The Woman Who Wanted to Say Something', features a face without a mouth. 'That's how society treats women's voices,' Kumar says softly, as if speaking to the canvas itself. Another piece, 'Those Who Die Without Living' is a raw portrait of feminine suffering, painted in rich, layered strokes.
For Kumar, azure is more than a color. 'It's the sky, the spirit, sorrow, and space,' he says.
'The sky belongs to everyone—it can accommodate us all.'
But this show is not just a retrospective—it's a fundraiser. Proceeds will go toward establishing a farming collective to support over 6,000 farmers, mostly tribal and marginalized families, living along the Western Ghats.
The initiative champions chemical-free, organic farming and aims to make healthy food accessible—not just for the elite, but for all.
'Organic food shouldn't be a luxury,' he says. 'It should be a right.'
His vision doesn't stop at agriculture. 'They say education is free,' he adds with a sigh, 'but I've seen children walking miles through rain, barefoot, just to get to school.'
Unesco once named him among the 40 greatest living artists. But accolades don't interest him. What matters is impact. That commitment has come at a cost. Kumar has faced multiple physical attacks from land mining groups in Wayanad due to his work promoting agriculture among marginalized communities.
'They broke the bones in my hand. I lost several teeth,' he recalls. 'But the fight will go on.'
Kumar's gentle yet impassioned voice finds its strongest expression in his art. When young artists visit the gallery, he speaks to them softly but firmly. 'Don't just decorate walls,' he says. 'Use the brush to scratch society's surface. Use color to heal, to question, to wake people up.'
The exhibition, supported by CGH Earth, runs until July 30.