In 2018, when artist Saju Thuruthil, head of the Fine Arts Department, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (Kalady), saw for the first time, after the floods, the condition of the University’s 31 oil paintings based on the life of Adi Sankaracharya, he was shocked. “College had re-opened after the floods, and we had opened the Kanakadhara auditorium. Cleaning was being done and we had opened it for classes. That’s when we discovered the paintings – some had fallen off, the frames of some had broken. It was a very sad spectacle,” recalls Saju.
A trained art conservationist and art restorer, from the National Museum Institute (Delhi) Saju offered to restore the paintings as was possible. On getting the go-ahead from the University VC, Dr Dharmaraj Adatt, he embarked on an eight-month long effort to restore the 6ft by 4ft paintings. Cleaned and restored, the works by Thiruvananthapuram-based artist JR Palakkal, believed to have been done in the early 90s, are on show at the Art and Mind Art Gallery in North Paravur at an exhibition, ‘Sree Sankaram 2019’.
The future of the paintings, Saju says, lies in a museum of art planned at the University. “The VC has said that the paintings will get the pride of place at the show.” The show concludes on August 5, for details contact 9496576876.
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