These series of images are an endeavour to highlight the rich exchange that existed between the south Indian state of Kerala and the great nation of China. In the 1500s before the arrival of the Europeans interactions with the Chins is a largely overlooked yet significant exchange from both ends. Sino-Malayalee relationship exists as early as 800AD.
The Chinese and Malayali culture has had profound impact on each other in terms of cuisine, martial arts and language. The artist hails from Quilon in Kerala which is a flashpoint of this interaction. The Chinese influence though not overtly obvious today has had a deep impact on the psych of the people living in this area.
The artist collects sand from ancient Chinese settlements, layers it on photosensitive paper, which is then exposed to monsoon rains. The resultant images testify to the past without being representational. Thereby the work captures the materiality of History through the materiality of the image-making process.
That Impossible Blue: China – Kerala Maritime Legacy, An Voyage Through Time
