Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Mural painting is 'art-satyagraha' in action.

The murals we create at Dhyanasankalpam , are not ephemeral like a live rendition of a song or a dance or even an Olympic Sport/event.

Murals are forever.They symbolise longevity and eternity.Murals are eternal.The oldest surviving murals are over 2000 years old.

They are works that you do not need to change every 2 years like do with your walls at home and work..or like... the gizmos you play with and throw away every 6 months.

The murals are non-negotiable and they cannot be traded-in, there is nothing to sell or buy..and precisely for that reason, it is pure art-satyagraha


So if you are a resident of Malabar-Kerala, please take time to drop in at the open-studio,register yourself as a volunteer, and participate in our forthcoming community mural projects.

pl call Sreekanth:0495-2330364 and 9961109770
godspeed

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Come and Join -'these walls are meant for murals' project # III in Calicut-

Our  Third Mural Installation covering an area of 200sq ft  as part of our public campaign for reclaiming blank wall spaces for murals titled 'These walls are meant for murals', has entered the 5th week.
There has been tremendous progress so far with upto 10 volunteers  on sundays, and 2-5 volunteers on weekdays..participating,and , may be in 2 weeks time, the layout will be complete..leaving only the 8 panels on 4 four walls vacant.Its an excellent opportunity for hands-on experience.If you are in Calicut and have 1-2 hours or more to spare, do join the team..For details ,
pl call Sreekanth:0495-2330364 and 9961109770


Now, here is a re-cap on Dhyanasankalpam-an Openstudio for Murals,Calicut:
We are  presently spearheading a successful public campaign to reclaim blank wall spaces for kerala murals.

Dhyanasankalpam began as a group that wished to bring classical art forms to the neighbourhood in Mankave,Calicut and called itself Sangeethasabha.
A series of concerts were sponsored featuring violin,veena,vocal exponents and Saint Tyagaraja Kriti Appreciation Classes were conducted,between 2005 and 2007.
Produced a Kathakali 'Nauka Charitam' in 2007(based on Saint Tyagaraja's Dance Opera-Nauka Charitam),It was premiered at the Temple Fest 2007 ,
it was recorded/canned and telecast several times by DoorDarshan 4 Malayalam Channel.
Summer Camps in Mural Painting and Spoken Sanskrit were conducted in the initial years.
The weekend calsses in Mural Painting led in 2009, to the commissioning of a 6 ft x 4 ft mural,based on 'Krishnageethi by Manavedan'.
A team of 10 students toiled every Sunday for over a year , to complete the mural.
The success of the first project has given us the impetus to launch a public campaign to reclaim blank wall spaces 'titled 'These walls are meant for murals'.
In Oct 2011 the studio was invited by Dolna,Mumbai and Mumbai Cricket Association Club to exhibit over 30 murals at the exhibition titled 'Samruddhi'.

The event saw our team skills and resource capabilities mature and peak, to mount an exhibition of over 30 canvasses, totalling over 120 sq foot area, covering fresh and original themes within a time-frame of 40 days.
In June 2012 we commissioned a second mural depicting the presiding deity at Thrissala Bhagavathi Temple,Mankave Palace,Calicut. This 6 ft by 4 ft mural was completed in under 25 sittings/days.

We started full-time and regular classes in Mural Painting in June 2012.
The Third Mural Installation covering an area of 200sq ft at the Krishna Temple, Thrissala Bhagavathi Temple Complex,Mankave Palace,Calicut,has entered the 4th week,with 5-10 student-volunteers working on any given day.
So far,a total of 250 sq ft are of wall space has been covered by us as part of the public campaign :These walls are meant for murals'.Our target is to add 500 sq ft of wall space for murals in a calender year.
Mural Painting is to young students what Natural farming is to plants ,crops and the environment. Young students of Dhyanasankalpam - at Calicut have already demonstrated to anxious parents in the community ,that they could score A+ in all subjects -without attending coaching/tuition classes.
Mural painting is a wonderful way to relax ones mind and train ones thoughts. For the young and developing minds..it lets them dream and refresh themselves, while learning the value of team effort and splitting large projects and epic stories into simple manageable and perfect components.
We want the Ministry of School Education to put Mural Painting in the curriculum of schools across the country and the art form should become an essential event in School and College Youth Festivals.Once the art form is recognised , there will be demand from students to learn the art form ..just the way the students in Kerala are learning other classical art forms. 
Dhyanasankalpam, is engaged in reviving public interest in Traditional Kerala Mural Painting Tradition.

Your support will be a BIG step towards realising our dream mission :

To put Mural Painting in the curriculum of schools across India ,

and spread the idea of 'Art as Yoga' in the midst of public discourse and

to see that individuals and communities appreciate the benefits they can reap from such an effort.

Longevity—the desire to be immortal—we hope, will make the individual and the community to take Indian Murals seriously.
The video links to our work in reclaiming blank walls in public spaces for kerala murals under the public campaign titled :These walls are meant for murals' can be accessed at :
http://www.youtube.com/user/Dhyanasankalpam

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Join 4-year Course in Mural Painting and Indian Aesthetics

Dhyanasankalpam-an Openstudio for Murals,Calicut
is inviting applications for admission
to a 4-year Comprehensive Course in Mural Painting and Indian Aesthetics .
Founded in 2005 as not-for-profit Art initiative, to provide traditional Kerala Mural art education to disadvantaged children,and presently spearheading a successful public campaign titled 'These walls are meant for murals'-to reclaim blank wall spaces for kerala murals, Dhyanasankalpam has grown into a popular art forum for research, preservation, and promotion of traditional Kerala Mural art and culture conducting Summer camps and weekend classes exhibitions, events, and publications, attracting art aficionados from all over the world.
Two Murals of size 6 ft x 4 ft  each Installed in 2009 and 2012 :
In 2009 Dhyanasankalpam installed a 6 ft x 4 ft mural, depicting Zamorin Prince and Sanskrit scholar Manavedan (1658-1662),who is more popularly known as Manaveda Kavi for his  Krishna Geethi on which the dance drama of Krishnanattam is based. According to some scholars,Krishnanattam is the first opera in Sanskrit produced in Kerala.A team of 10 students spent every Sunday for over a year, under the watchful guidance of renowned Mural Painter Sasi Edavard to complete the mural.

In Oct 2011 held an exhibition of over 30 murals titled 'Samruddhi'-hosted jointly by Dolna,Mumbai and MCA Club at the famous Mumbai Cricket Association Club,Mumbai.

On 22 June 2012 unveiled the second mural size 6 ft x 4 ft depicting the presiding deity at Thrissala Bhagavathi Temple,MankavePalace,Calicut.


The third project presently being undertaken is a 200sq ft mural installation on the walls of Krishna Temple Mankave Palace,Calicut.The project is set to be completed before Onam,2012.
Once completed, Dhyanasankalpam would undoubtedly be the first and only independent not-for-profit initiative to commission 250sq ft of murals rivalling those at the Duch Palace,Mattanchery and elsewhere in Kerala.It will also put Calicut on the world map as the beckoning center for Kerala murals in North Malabar.
Admissions Open for Regular Classes:
Regular classes are being conducted in Mural Painting with hands-on training.
Dhyanasankalpam aims to train children and students in traditional Kerala Mural techniques; encourage creativity, develop a sense of pride about their culture and provide a sense of belonging and community in a structured learning environment through its uniquely structured 4-year Comprehensive Programme in Mural Painting and Indian Aesthetics . Mural Painting Classes are held everyday from 10am -5pm led by renowned Mural Artist Sasi Edavarad and Mentor at Dhyanasankalpam. pl call 08891721099 for details.There are currently 30 students on rolls from all ages :5-75 years old.
Please  find sasi.edavarad on Facebook